


Eternal sunshine

by Serahne



Series: Tumblr prompts [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: M/M, Mostly Post-Canon, Sometimes established relationship, Sometimes pre-relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2018-10-09 00:28:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 31,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10399593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Serahne/pseuds/Serahne
Summary: Collection of Komahina prompts from my tumblr.





	1. Letters to space

**Author's Note:**

> Post canon, Nagito send a letter to Monaca. She isn't happy about it.

**To : Monaca Towa**

**From : Nagito Komaeda**

 

Dear Monaca,

As part of our ‘program of readaptation to a normal life’, the people from Future Foundation gave us stationary and postcards so we could communicate with our friends and family outside the island. I’m well-aware that no one is interested in what I could say, really, especially since I have no relatives or friends to write to, but the Ultimate Hope ( Oh, yes, I’ve finally met him ! His name is Makoto Naegi, he is incredibly nice even to a trash like me and he is way smaller than I thought he would be ! ) told me something amazing.

He told me you gave up on Despair, Monaca ! I was so proud to hear that. Of course, I know I can’t take any credit for your change of mind - you were always a very stubborn child, I don’t think you ever accepted to eat something else than ice-cream for breakfast - but I really wanted to congratulate you. You finally understood than Hope would always win.

Here on the island, everything is fine, though a little boring. There isn’t a lot of thing to do. In some way, the killing game was pretty fun.

How are you ? I’ve heard you were currently in space ? That’s an unusual place, but you are a young girl full of surprise, and I’m happy for you.

May the Hope be with you,

Nagito Komaeda

 

*

 

**To : Nagito Komaeda**

**From : Monaca Towa**

 

Hey you piece of melted soap,

You do realize that I have no clue what you’re talking about, right ? I couldn’t care less if you still follow big sis Junko’s teaching or if you decided to lick this Naegi’s ass ( this guy is a loser, by the way ). You are a weirdo, and  don’t want to have anything to do with you.

And how did you know how to send this letter ? Don’t dare telling me it’s your luck, because I swear I will manage to find a missile to crash on your island if you do. Wherever it is.

And I don’t know what the Loser said, I’m NOT fighting for hope, sorry ( not sorry ) to disappoint you. I actually left this planet so I will never have to hear this word from anyone, especially from YOU.

Don’t write to me anymore, Shitlord. You can bother one of the other kids, I am busy. Actually I’m not but I’d rather be bored to death than reading anything you wrote.

PS : your writing is ugly.

 

 

*

 

**  
**  
To : Monaca Towa 

**From : Nagito Komaeda  
**

Dear Monaca,

Ah, I’m very sorry to bother you, but I don’t really have a choice, all the Remnants of Despairs are expected to take part in this program. We even have some session with the Future Foundation’s therapist to talk about it. When I told this nice lady that you were my pen pal, her faced turned blue. I think she knows you ! I didn’t know you were that well known, Monaca, isn’t it amazing ?

Also, I know I’m not the smartest person between the two of us, but you remember that you forced me to go every week for months to a specific underground shop to buy a specific brand of wasabi-flavoured chips, don’t you ? You probably need these chips more than you need oxygen. I knew that I could send my letter to that shop. 

By the way, the Warriors of Hope are busy ! They are fighting Despair in Towa. Also, can I say that this name is great ? Nagisa told me you were the one who thought about it, is it true ? Because that’s probably the proof that Hope was always inside you, you know. You were a Lil’Ultimate after all.

On the island, everything is fine. Well, Akane bumped into me in the stairs - she was in a hurry to go to the restaurant, she trains really hard every day, it’s so nice to see her brimming with hope like that - and I twisted my ankle. Bad luck, really. But Hajime was here and he is the one who took me to the infirmary. And yes, he was mumbling that I was too careless all the way to go there, but he stayed with me when Mikan took care of me. So I guess I was lucky after all !

Do you like stars, Monaca ? Tonight I watched the sky, and I wondered if you were there, amongst these tiny lights, fighting relentlessly against despair. It was a nice thought, don’t you think ?

 

Can you feel the hope tonight ?

 

Nagito Komaeda.

 

 

 

*

 

 

 

**To : Nagito Komaeda**

**From : Monaka Towa**

Okay, how dare you ? How much did you pay this guy so he wouldn’t let me buy my chips if they don’t see me read your letter before ? Do you know how that’s called ? Because I’m going to tell you : harassment. That’s right.

Also, The Warriors of Hope is an idea from big sis Junko, and it’s an ironic name, what do you think ? Nagisa knows nothing, of course, he is an idiot. I suppose they are all part of Future Foundations now ? What a bunch of losers.

I hope your twisted ankle is still painful.

Also you were probably high on medecine when you wrote that last paragraph.

Can you please let me alone with my chips and my stars ( WHICH ARE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST DESPAIR WHY ARE YOU TAKING EVERYTHING FROM ME ).

 

 

*

 

 

**To : Izuru Kamukura**

**From : Monaca Towa**

 

Hi dipshit,

Could you please tell big bro Nagito that he needs to stop harassing me ? 

THANKS.

Monaca Towa.

 

 

*

 

 

**To : Monaca Towa**

**From : Nagito Komaeda**

It may be an ironic name but that’s the proof that Hope can be born from Despair, and I think it’s beautiful. Also, I didn’t realize that you didn’t receive any news from your friends, especially since Nagisa seemed very concerned about you, you two were good friends, right ? I asked my therapist to send him the adress he can write you to, I hope you’ll be happy to communicate with someone a little more interesting than me.

There is a lot of people coming and going on this island. Apparently we won’t be staying here for a very long time, now that everyone is awake. They say if there is no ‘incident’ we’ll leave this place in a couple of months. When they say ‘incident’ they look at me, I’m not really sure why. Maybe they are scared that my luck could act up in some way ?

Hajime is a little weird lately, especially when I talk about Naegi ? It looks like he doesn’t like him or something but that’s impossible, right ? Why would anyone dislike the Ultimate Hope. Maybe he was just disgusted to talk to me.

Despair shall not pass ! 

Nagito Komaeda

 

 

*

 

 

**To : Monaca Towa**

**From : Hajime Hinata**

 

It’s nice to see that you are just as lovely now than you were two years ago. However are you sure you met Nagito ? Because I’m pretty sure there is no way for me to change his mind. Especially since he now considers me like dirt or something.

When Naegi comes back I’ll talk to him if you want, Nagito seems to listen to him, Ultimate Hope and all that stuff.

Hajime Hinata.

PS : HAJIME HINATA. I doubt you will but don’t send a letter with Izuru’s name on it. I don’t want to go through another psychological evaluation because of you.

 

*

 

**To : Nagito Komaeda**

**From : Monaca Towa**

 

When did I say I cared about these idiots ? Also we are not FRIENDS, Nagisa is the biggest fool of them all, and that’s saying something. I don’t care if he suffers of Stockholm Syndrom or something, he let me to die in Towa anyway.

So stop being a pain. Do you want me to give up on my favorite food ? Really ? Is it what you want ? You are going to take everything from me ? Because If I decide to fight for despair again, that’ll be ON YOU.

Also talk to your boyfriend or something, he is saltier than my chips. You two are pathetic.

Monaca.


	2. Open your eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Komaeda's hand technically belongs to Hinata, anyway.

 

“Can I open my eyes yet ?”

“No” Hinata answered, a smile in his voice “Stop being so impatient. Give me two minutes.”

Komaeda resisted the urge to open his eyes, even a little, because he knew Hinata would notice. He felt his boyfriend opening his robotic hand to take care of the weird clicking noise which had appeared a few days before. 

He wasn’t sure why Hinata had asked him to close his eyes, for it wasn’t the first time they were doing this, and watching Hinata’s face when he was working was a more pleasant way to waste his time than focusing on his arm.

“I know where the problem is, I have to replace a piece.” Hinata commented.

“I trust you” he replied.

The next moment he felt a pair of soft lips in the corner of his mouth and almost opened his eyes out of surprise. He didn’t have the time to react in any way that Hinata was already gone, back to his task.

“You’re so unfair, Hajime” he sighed, pretending to be hurt, but the use of his first name didn’t let any doubt on his true feelings. “I want you to kiss me properly.”

“Oh, do you ?” Komaeda heard a new metallic sound, something rattling against his cold fingers. “Don’t worry” he said, his tone suddenly way lower than before “I will.”

Komaeda shivered. He didn’t dare to say anything, scared that his voice would reflect the desire running through his body. Even if it was Hinata’s goal, that was still embarassing.

“I’m done” Hinata said. There was something like a hesitation in his voice. “Listen, I think it’s fine, but if you don’t like it, I’m taking it off.”

 _Taking it off_ ? That wasn’t like Hinata to be so unsure about his skills. He heard his boyfriend take a deep breath.

“You can open your eyes” he said.

The first thing Komaeda saw was Hinata’s anxious face. The second was his hand. And more particulary the ring that Hinata had slipped on his finger. Surprised he moved his hand and the sunlight lit up the ring for one second.

“It’s… it’s…” Komaeda just couldn’t not look at it. It wasn’t a joke at all, Hinata wouldn’t do that. They have been together for so long and now… and now Hinata wanted them to be together for the rest of their life, right ?

That was what it was, right ? He felt his heart pounding against his chest.

“So, I thought it suited you” Hinata started. “Again, I can totally take it off if you want, it’s fine, it won’t change anything but-”

“You’re kidding, right, I’m keeping it!” he replied quickly, almost offended. He finally managed to tear his eyes off the ring and looked at Hinata who was smiling tentatively after his outburst.

“Good” he said. “It really… suits you.” the same word, but the same hesitation too, as if he didn’t know what to say. Maybe it hadn’t been as romantic as he wanted, Komaeda thought. But it was okay.

Komaeda stared at the ring, playing with the light’s reflection.

“Yes” he said “It does.”


	3. Future is Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata lived through a thousand lives.

"You're too young to hate the world."

Hinata frowns, resisting the urge to put the pillow back to not hear Komaeda’s speech. It is hard sometimes to remember that they were friends. Kinda. Sort of.

“I don’t know. I wish I didn’t live in a world where the atmosphere is freaking poisoned, where people are murdering each others, where I chose to become a monster and let these people mess with my brain, where my only friend in Hope’s Peak was murdered in front of me…” he closes his eyes. “We are not living in a beautiful world, Komaeda. I know you don’t care, I know it’s easy for you, but it’s not that easy for everyone else.”

Only silence answers him. Komaeda takes a quick breath and then nothing, just a lingering, awkward silence that Hinata knows he is responsible for.

“Sorry” he says, because he is supposed to be the better person between the two of them. “It was uncalled for.”

“Ah, it’s nothing.” Komaeda doesn’t sound too bothered by his words but his tone is more tentative, hesitant. “I was wondering… would you not do it again ? If you were given the possibility to become Izuru Kamukura in Hope’s Peak, would you take it ?”

Hinata shakes his head. This question… how many times had he wondered about it ?

“It wouldn’t have changed anything” he says, defeated. “Someone else would have become Kamukura. Enoshima would have destroyed the school and manipulated each of you into despair.”

“Exactly !” Komaeda replies, triumphantly, even if Hinata isn’t sure why he is so satisfied with this answer. “You know what would have been different ? You wouldn’t have been with us in the Programme, you would have died during the Tragedy, you wouldn’t have been there to inspire everyone with your beautiful hope, you wouldn’t have been there to correct my disgusting, wretched actions and-”

“Komaeda” Hinata cut him off, because his eyes are shining too brightly and he is starting to sweat. Fortunately, he seems to come back to his sense after Hinata calls his name and blinks slowly.

“All of them would be dead” Komaeda whispers. “All of them. Because of me, and because of you, not accepting the Kamukura project.”

Hinata can’t help but stare at his friend, shivering and intense, and he knows something is wrong in what he is saying, but the words coming out of his mouths have something… appealing.

“Your sole existence” Komaeda concludes. “Destroyed this world, and your sole existence redeemed it, have no doubt. That’s why you are my hope, Hinata, because no matter how terrible this world, my luck, or anything else can be, it’s nothing when compared to you. Do you understand ?”

Komaeda’s eyes begs him to understand, but Hinata shakes his head.

“No, not really.”

He sees disappointment flicker on Komaeda’s face. The white-haired boy lowers his head, defeated.

“I hope one day you’ll see the world how I see it. I wish you’ll see yourself how I… how everyone sees you.”

Hinata smiles, realized that he is half-asleep already, and closes his eyes for half a second. And then he sees.

He sees the faces of his friends, all alive and awake, and joking and loving, he sees Naegi’s nod when they came to help them in Future’s Foundation’s Headquarters, he sees Kirigiri’s face, half-purple but lively, he sees her thanking them. All these people who wouldn’t be alive without him. But it’s not the only thing he sees.

He sees someone planting a tree, somewhere in a country he has never been, he hears a baby scream for the first time, he feel the softness of a lover’s skin against his body, he understand the joy of people when the first crops start to grow and that they understand they’ll get something to eat soon. He sees Komaeda’s smile, more genuine and relaxed that he has ever seen it, and he realizes that if that’s what the future is like, then maybe it’s not that bad.

Maybe there is hope.

And then he opens his eyes and reality is there again.

“You’re okay ?” Komaeda asks.

“I guess” he replies. “I’m just tired.” and then : “ I’m just old.”

Komaeda snickers and the tension evaporates. “Then sleep, old man.”

He is pretty sure that Komaeda leaves his room at some point, but he is already asleep when he does.


	4. Observation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not that embarassing, Hinata.
> 
> ( prompt : admitting a fetish/kink )

Nagito Komaeda is someone observant. After looking at someone for a certain amount of time, it’s easy for him to pick up the little quirks and habits that this person has. He knows that when Owari starts to get hungry, her legs starts to get restless and she can’t stay still, or that when Mioda just got an idea, her eyes lights up like if a switch has been turned on inside of her. He sees how Hanamura wipes up his palms on his pants just before he is about to talk to a girl, or how Tsumiki bites her lips anytimes someone is saying something she disapproves.

Of course, the person he observes the most is Hinata. He is with him the most, after all, including when everyone else is gone, when they are alone, and when he is confronted to intimate situations. After two months together, he knows how to enjoy how his smile softens every time he sees him, how his whole body relaxes whenever they are finally back in his or Komaeda’s cottage. On this particular topic, he learnt to recognize the hints that Hinata would ask him more or less openly to spend the night with him - lack of focus, eyes throwing quick glances at the clock, shy smiles addressed to Komaeda over the dinner table, and finally the hint that he now associated with Hinata being aroused : him running an embarrassed hand through his hair.

As arrogant as it sounds, Komaeda thought this kind of gesture was for him, and only for him. Which was why the exchange in front of him was… disconcerting.

“It’s so good, Hinata, you are so talented when it comes to cooking, I have still so much to learn” Sonia is saying, eyes shining as bright as the sun when she looks at the food they prepared for the dinner.

Hinata blushes furiously and mumbles something that Komaeda can’t hear from where he is - sitting at the table near the door, officially reading a book while waiting for Hinata to be done. No need to say that his attention is way more on the scene currently happening in front of him than on his book.

“Don’t be modest” Sonia says, more forcefully, taking Hinata’s hands in hers in a gesture of enthusiasm. “You are an excellent teacher, I can attest of that ! None of my teacher back in my country could help me to make something edible ! You are a wonder, Hinata !”

Hinata blushes some more while he tries to get away from her, and then it happens. He passes a hand through his hair, and a shy smile appears on his lips.

Komaeda closes his book abruptly, a dark feeling that he has no intention to impose on his boyfriend boiling in his stomach. Without looking at Hinata, he stands up and leaves the room in a hurry, almost running toward his cottage. He closes the door behind him, knowing that Hinata is going to look for him soon, and throws himself on his bed, trying to calm his breathing.

It shouldn’t matter, he knows that. It doesn’t matter if Hinata is sexually attracted by other people, that’s normal, and as long as he has Hinata’s love it’s fine, right ?

The problem is that no matter how observant Komaeda is, he doesn’t know what the signs of this love are. Attraction is easy to pick up on, but beyond that, he can’t see anything, and yes, he should just believe Hinata when he says it, but that would be so much easier if his body could confirm it. Hinata’s mouth can lie to make it feel better, or because he somehow managed to trick Hinata into thinking he was in love with him, but his body is honest, and the fact that he is so unreadable is terrifying and…

Knock-knock

“Komaeda ? You’re in there ?” Hinata’s voice says through the door.

He holds his breath and stop moving, trying to be as quiet as possible. After a few seconds…

“Okay, no, I know you’re in there, let me in, please,” Hinata keeps going. And when Komaeda doesn’t answer, he sighs loud enough to be heard from the inside. “I really wish you’d be the normal kind of jealous, you know ? That’d be so much better to deal with it if you were just pissed at me, instead of running back into your shell.”

Komaeda bites his lips. He doesn’t want Hinata to get the wrong idea.

“I have no right to be jealous, you don’t owe me anything,” he replies.

“Actually that’s not true, since we are in a relationship, we owe each other a ton of stuff. And if you want to start your list, opening this goddamn door should be on top of it.” Hinata sounds half-relieved that Komaeda is finally answering, half-annoyed that he still has to talk through the cottage’s door.

He should let him in, it’s really not nice to let someone as great as Hinata outside when he wants to come in but… he just doesn’t want to face whatever Hinata wants to say.

“It’s okay if you want to break up because you found out that you were attracted by Sonia, I understand, you don’t have to tell me, I’ll let you alone for now,” he says, closing his eyes as if bracing himself for a punch. “I’ve been thinking for a while that it would be the easiest outcome for us”.

Silence. The universe is holding is breath.

“What. The. Fuck.” Hinata sounds incredulous, and Komaeda is still on his bed, looking at the door as if he was scared that his boyfriend would knock it down or something. “Okay, let’s put that aside for now, I have no clue what’s going on in this brain of yours, but I’m not attracted by Sonia, I’m not attracted by anyone except you, alright ?”

He sounds honest. But his mouth and body are saying two different things.

“You passed your hand through your hair. And you blushed when she talked to you,” he says, cautiously.

“Well, yeah. Listen, it’s a little embarrassing to talk about it there, so please let me in so I can explain.”

Komaeda hesitates, a part of his brain is screaming at him, asking him how he can be so stubborn when Hinata is obviously there to kiss and make-up and even if he was attracted to someone else, Komaeda should be happy that he is also attracted to him and…

“Shut up” says Hinata’s voice.

Komaeda’s eyes widen “But… I didn’t say anything ?”

“I can hear you think. You know what ? Fine, I’ll explain.” Short silence, and then his voice is a little lower and Komaeda has to move closer to the door to hear it. “I really hope no one is there to hear me scream this stuff. Listen, the truth is that it feels nice when she complimented me, okay ? It had nothing to do with Sonia, hell, this old guy from Future Foundation could have been the one saying these things to me and I would have reacted the same way, alright ? It’s weird, l know, I let you one minute to laugh and then you can open this stupid door.”

The last words are all mixed up together, as if Hinata wanted to get them out as quickly as possible, but Komaeda frowns, confused by what he is saying to him.

“How is it weird to feel good when someone compliments you ? I don’t understand.”

“Because it’s a weird kind of good, okay ? It makes me feel… aroused. Oh my god, I really can’t believe I’m saying this like that.” He is so openly cringing by now that Komaeda almost feel pity for him.

Aroused… by compliments ?

Oh.

He opens the door and Hinata is there, his cheeks so red that they are almost glowing, and a relieved look in his eyes when he realizes that he won’t need to humiliate himself further tonight.

“Hi” he says timidly, a smile that isn’t the ’let’s-have-sex’-smile on his lips, and he waves his hand awkwardly. “You were allowed one minute to laugh before opening the door, you know.”

“Hum…” Komaeda replies “It didn’t sound funny, just interesting.”

Hinata blinks. “Interesting ?”

The other is looking at him pensively, as always when he is trying to figure out something complicated.

“Does it work with every praise ? Or is a specific topic better ? Cooking is often linked to sexual desire in the collective imaginary, so maybe it’s why it was so strong and…” he says, more for himself than for Hinata at this point.

“Oh god.” he says for the tenth times it seems. “What are you doing ?”

Komaeda gives him a surprised look.

“Trying to guess what will make you feel good ? Isn’t it what a lover is supposed to do ? I’m sure I can find a lot of way to praise you through the day !”

“That’s not…” he stops himself. “I don’t want you to do that all the time ! It’s embarrassing, who would want to be sexually excited in the middle of the day when there is no way to hide it or fix it quickly ? Listen… I don’t want you to use this information against me.”

He isn’t looking at Komaeda anymore, so he doesn’t see the serious nod that he offers him. It’s nice from Hinata. He could have let Komaeda think that he was attracted to Sonia, but chose instead to show him one of his side he isn’t comfortable with and that Komaeda could potentially uses against him. That’s… a sign of something, right ?

“Okay, I won’t do that in public” Komaeda says, and Hinata’s head turns toward him. “But… maybe in our cottages it could be fine ?”

“Our cottages ?”, repeats Hinata.

“Humhum.” He casually leans against the doorframe in a way he hopes is appealing. Hinata’s eyes travel toward his hip, emphasized by the position. “I know some things that you are very good at and that would deserve a lot of praises from my part, Hinata.”

Hinata’s eyelids flutter and when he looks at Komaeda’s face again, his first reflex is to run one of his hands through his hair.

Komaeda smiles and pulls him inside, closing the door behind them.


	5. Frisky dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata may not be an Ultimate, but he has some skills too. Nagito is, as usual, lucky.
> 
> ( prompt : lap dance )

It is the first party organized on the island where everyone can participate - Pekoyama, the last one to wake up, has left the hospital a few days before - and things are going well. The girls are especially enthusiastic, dancing and having fun with each other in the middle of the dance-floor, but everyone seems in a good mood… except for Kazuichi who is taking his fill of liquid courage before going on ‘offensive mode’ whatever that means. Him and Hinata are sitting on one of the comfy couches that had been pushed on the corners of the room before the party.

“Another one !” the pink-haired boy claims, pouring himself a drink Then, looking at Hajime’s glass, he tsk-tsks. “You’re too slow, soul-friend. Hurry up so I can fill it nice and good !”

Hinata chuckles. He isn’t drunk and doesn’t intend to be, but he is already pleasantly buzzed thanks to Kazuichi.

“No thanks, I’m stopping here, I don’t want to be sick tomorrow.” Like last time, he almost adds, but better leave the past in a past, right ?

“I’m sorry” replies Kazuichi “I thought I was talking to my super friend Hajime Hinata, I didn’t realize I was talking to a sixty-years old lady who had to feed her cat tomorrow morning ?”

“Okay, that’s very specific” Hinata says “But I’m not getting drunk with you tonight. And contrary to you, I don’t need alcohol to get laid, so there is that.”

That is mean, considering that Kazuichi is starting to get pretty depressed over the Sonia situation, getting his hopes up when Tanaka and her hadn’t started anything, and back to square one when she nicely informed everyone that her main priority was her country.

“Well” Kazuichi snickers “I’m trying to date a princess, mate. Not a weird-looking guy with a fetish for double-zippers, alright ?”

Kazuichi and Hinata’s eyes meet, narrowed and intense after this kind exchange. This lasts for approximately five seconds before both of them burst out laughing.

“Oh god Kazuichi, I can’t believe we are talking about it. Listen, Sonia has been dancing with everyone tonight. You don’t need to drown yourself in alcohol for that, okay ?” Hinata says, still laughing. “Just man up, as Koizumi would say.”

Kazuichi sighs but nods, and starts to walk in the direction of the dance-floor, when Ibuki’s song ends and she picks up the micro.

“Hi everyone ! It’s great that you are all having fun, but it’s starting to get a little late, and Ibuki knows that everyone wants to get a little frisky tonight.”  This declaration is saluted by a couple of good-hearted laughs, and a few more whistles “So grab the closest person from you and I’m warning you, I want to spontaneously combust from the level of hotness in the room. Careful, though, Ibuki wants frisky, not naughty, so keep your hands where I can see them !”

Souda glances at Hinata in panic but after a few seconds of silent discussion, he turns once more toward the center of the room. Hinata smiles and starts to sip on his glass, now that his friend isn’t there to be annoying about it.

He is barely alone for a minute when someone sits by his side, at the opposite of the couch he is on. He raises his head to see Komaeda, all flushed by the heat and the electrical atmosphere, who is taking a break after the little dancing he has done.

“Hi” Hinata said. “Wants something to drink ?”

Komaeda shook his head, smiling at Hinata with his usual toothy grin. “No, I’m fine.”

Even a few weeks ago, he would insist for him to hydrate himself, but he can’t just be behind his back all the time, and since the moment where he decided to be more relaxed about it - around the time where they started to go out, actually - his boyfriend hasn’t collapsed once, so he will trust him on this one.

“I’m surprised that you didn’t stay for the ‘frisky dancing’” Hinata chuckles.

Komaeda puts his hands in front of him, as to protect himself from this possibility. “I’m really not up to the challenge. I don’t want to be ridiculous and inconvenience the others with my lack of skill in this domain. Also, I don’t think anyone would want to do this kind of thing with…”

“Actually” Hinata cuts him off, not appreciating how easily Komaeda would fall back on his self-depreciating habits “I know very well one person who would appreciate doing this with you.”

Komaeda’s mouth makes a very cute ‘o’, and then his flush spreads on his face so quickly that he doesn’t manage to cover it up with his hands right away. Hinata smiles, amused by how ridiculous he can be whenever Hinata is being blunt in his affection.

Komaeda looks behind his fingers after a few seconds. “Well, from what I’ve seen, the one person who would have been interested wasn’t on the dance-floor, so that bring me back to me being here with you, right ?”

He hums in reply, looking absent-mindedly at the dancers who are more or less awkward, depending on their partners. Kazuichi and Sonia aren’t the worst by far, even if Sonia has firmly placed Kazuichi’s hands on her waist and glares at him anytime he is trying to move them, for Pekoyama and Kuzuryu seems absolutely unable to dance in rhythm, and are mostly standing there, at a respectful distance from one another, stiffer than a pair of brooms.

“Though I wonder, Hinata, don’t you know how to dance this way ? Wasn’t there a Ultimate ‘frisky dancer’ at Hope’s Peak Academy ? That seems like a serious oversight.” Komaeda teased him.

“Shut it, you,” Hinata replies. “For your information, the reason I’m not dancing is because I don’t want to, not because I can’t.”

“So there was an Ultimate Frisky dancer ?” Komaeda’s shit-eating grin refuses to leave his face, and Hinata rolls his eyes.

“No there wasn’t” he says. “That just doesn’t seem so hard. Call it natural skills if you wish, I’m bound to have some, you know.”

His boyfriend laughs.

“Alright, Hinata” he says. “If you say so.”

“You don’t believe me ?”

“Of course I believe you, I would never doubt what you say, you know” replies Komaeda, with the tone of someone who doesn’t believe him and is very much doubting what he is saying.

Hinata glances at the dance-floor, once again. No one is looking in their direction, and the side of the room they are in isn’t as illuminated than the dance-floor is. He then looks at Komaeda, who has this challenging light in his eyes, the kind he has a hard time to resist.

“Komaeda ?”

“Yes ?”

“Raise your arms.” he demanded, resisting the urge of smiling.

Confused, his boyfriend does as he said, and at the second where his lap is free, Hinata crawls quickly along the couch and at the next moment, he is straddling Komaeda’s thighs, a victorious smile on his face.

Komaeda blinks, his arms still raised, and he looks up at him.

“Hinata ? What are you doing ?” he asks, confused by this unannounced intimacy.

Hinata secures his arms behind Komaeda’s neck and caresses the hair he finds there, enjoying the shiver that run down the other’s body while he is doing it.

“I feel like you weren’t convinced by what I was saying. That maybe you would need some proof that I was good at frisky dancing ?”

“But Hinata” Komaeda’s eyes are so wide he is a little scared they are about to fall off. “It’s not frisky dance, it’s lap dance ?”

Falsely surprised, he put a hand in front of his mouth and hiccups. “Oh my god, you’re right, what and an idiot I am, I’d better get off and…”

“No !” Komaeda is back to being able to move his arms, and his hands grasp Hinata’s back to keep him where he is. “A lap dance is a kind of frisky dance.”

“Good, then.” He leans closer from the white-haired boy, and whispers in his ears. “Can I keep going ?”

Komaeda nods frantically, but Hinata notices that he glances at the room behind them, and realizes that it’s not something he would have done without the drinks he took with Kazuichi before. He isn’t the kind to be demonstrative in public and… well, what he is doing is something he would qualify of demonstrative, but Komaeda seems very into it, and so does he so…

He lowers himself shamelessly, trying to follow the rhythm of the music, and grinding against Komaeda who bites his lips, his pupils blown away by the lust. His hands on his back are gripping the fabric of his shirt.

He stops his physical - sexual, he thinks with a tingle of excitation - contact, getting a half-relieved, half-annoyed sigh from Komaeda, and moves his boyfriend’s hands on his waist, keeping his hands over Komaeda’s for the moment.

“Try to feel it” he says, letting him free to interpret whatever ‘it’ could be.

It’s strangely pleasant, moving slowly and languidly on top of Komaeda, feeling how his fingers dip into his hips whenever he lowers himself and grazes his crotch, how his breathing quickens when he starts to go a little faster, to move a little smoother. And always, alway, the other’s eyes are focused on him with such _wonder_ in it, it’s making him light-headed. Maybe he is right, maybe he is just naturally good at that.

That’s not the worst talent to have, right ?

“Hi… Hinata” Komaeda manages to breathes out after a while. “Can I touch you… please ?”

He is trembling, and while Hinata enjoys to tease him this way, Komaeda’s fingers are starting to hurt him and the stain on his thighs is real, and himself wouldn’t be against some attention. He nods shortly, expecting to feel the other’s hands travelling on his thighs and ass but…

He is almost brutally trapped into a tight hug, Komaeda’s head nuzzling against his neck, and a pitiful moan escaping his mouth.

“Hey, is something wrong ?” Hinata asks, deciding to not get too worried right away. He has made sure that he was into it, but maybe it was just too much for him.

Komaeda shakes his head but doesn’t let go of Hinata. When he talks, his words are half-muffled and Hinata had to focus to understand them.

“I’m just… very lucky. It’s still hard to realize sometimes. I’m sorry for doing this.”

Hinata laughs, relieved that it’s nothing too serious - just Komaeda and the long way they all still have to go in their path of recovery.

“Hey, I’m not against a hug” he says pleasantly. “Also I think we were close to break the ‘keep your hands where I can see them’ rule so”. His fingers trace pattern on Komaeda’s back until he starts to loosen his grip. Hinata isn’t in a rush, his boyfriend’s lap isn’t the worst place in the world to be stuck on.

Komaeda’s eyes are a little red-eyed the next time he sees his face, and he is still blushing like a madman, but he isn’t trembling anymore.

“I guess you were right Hinata, you are really the Ultimate Frisky dancer” he says “It’s just a shame that you have to waste your talent on me.”

Hinata kisses the corner of his lips, trying to wash his mouth from what he just said.

“Actually” he says “You’re the only person I want to use it on. I’m counting on you from now on, alright ?”

After a moment, Komaeda nods slowly, hesitantly.

“I guess that can’t be helped, can’t it ?”

“Nope, the future of our world depends on you, Komaeda” and Hinata pulls him in for a real kiss this time, the kind that he is so happy to get lost into.

_The truth is they are both very lucky._


	6. Private time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes it's like the universe just hates you.
> 
> ( prompt : someone walking in your room during your private time )

Komaeda runs as fast as he can to Hinata’s cottage and slams the door open, just in time to see the boy inside falling from his bed in the most disgraceful way, and pulling the bed’s covers with him in the same move. He crashes on the floor with a sound only slightly muffled by the fabric surrounding him, and then he stops moving, looking like a huge, dead, coloured caterpillar.

The white-haired boy blinks, wondering if somehow his luck caused that, but a few seconds later, Hinata’s head emerges from the cover, all red and sweaty.

“Komaeda, what the hell are you doing there ?” 

Komaeda notes that his voice is a little different from usual, breathy and rough, and… it’s a very good voice for Hinata.

“You told me I had to warn you if Naegi called the island, didn't you ?” he replies, tentatively.

He is a little confused by Hinata’s aggressivity ( he tends to walk on eggshells with him most of the time, and Komaeda isn’t the best one to make things less awkward ) and his weird position, since he is still holding firmly the covers around his body.

“Well” Hinata says, frowning in frustration. “Yes ? But couldn’t you have knocked ?”

“Huh, I’m sorry, you told me nothing was more important than that, so I didn’t think it was important to knock this time ?” 

He can understand why Hinata would be distraught by the sudden apparition of someone like him, but his friend doesn’t seem in his normal state. Red face, sweat, different voice that would suggest a sore throat…

“Hinata, are you sick ?” he asks “Because I could find Tsumiki and…”

“I’m not sick !” Hinata cuts him off, forcefully. “And Tsumiki being here is the last thing I need. I’m fine, I just want you to knock next time. What if I was… you know.” 

He makes a vague sign of the head in the general direction of the bed.

“If you… were ?” he repeats, trying to find what could bother Hinata that much.

Hinata sighs. “I don’t know, it’s hypothetical ! Showering, maybe ?”

“Oh !” The other boy’s eyes lights up, happy to finally understand what’s going on. “I would have waited here, of course, I do realize your private time is very important to you.” 

He hesitates, glancing around the room and stopping on the bed where a very curious object has been thrown there. “Do you want to take a shower ? Is that why you prepared another pair of underwear on your bed ?”

“Oh my god” whines Hinata before covering his head with the cover too, while still muttering some hushed words that Komaeda isn’t able to hear. 

He actually understands parts of sentences, like ‘kill me now’ and ‘why him’ and ‘i can’t’, and it’s all funny and entertaining, but he ends up by appearing once again, his head leaving once again the warmth of his comfy cocoon.

“Yeah” he says “that’s basically it. I wanted to take a shower and you just barged in and surprised me. So. I’m going. To take a shower. I won’t need long.”

He manages to stand up while keeping the covers around him, with as much dignity he can gather, and rushes into the bathroom.

Komaeda hums for himself, still puzzled by his friend’s behaviour, wondering if he is supposed to leave the cottage now, since being here without Hinata gives him a strange feeling. He looks around the room with curiosity : it’s mostly tidy, though there are some clothes on the floor and the windows would need some cleaning.

Something on the bed table attracts his attention. It’s a little bottle filled with a clear liquid which kind of look like soap from what he can see. On the bottle is written ‘no irritation, easy on the skin, no allergen.’ His eyes go wide when he realizes that Hinata has probably forgotten it.

“Hinata !” he screams. “I found your bottle of soap on the bed table, don’t you need it ?”

Silence on the other side. Then, slowly, the bathroom’s door opens just enough to reveal Hinata’s head, a resigned look on his face.

“Yeah” he says. “That’s mine. I’ll take it, thanks.” 

He manages to slip his hands by the opening and Komaeda gives him the bottle.

“Are you okay ?” Komaeda asks for what seems to be the hundredth time this day.

Hinata sighs, looking at the bottle, then points an angry finger at him.

“You know what ? If my luck works anything like yours, Naegi’s better be calling to warn us that a shipment of cakes in on its way to the island.”

And then he slams the door behind him, letting an always-more-confused Komaeda on the other side.


	7. Hunger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Komaeda is annoying, and Hinata is annoyed. Or is he ?
> 
> ( prompt : pinning the other against the wall )

“What the hell are you doing ?” Hinata whisper-yelled while pushing Komaeda against the wall, outside the restaurant.

It was not even 9 yet, and Komaeda was already getting under his skin in the most annoying way possible. For the entirety of the breakfast meeting, where Koizumi was explaining who was supposed to take care of cleaning what before the visit of Future Foundation, Komaeda has been very dedicated at pissing him off. He just couldn’t stay still, always moving at Hinata’s side, rubbing his thighs together while claiming he didn’t want to go to the bathroom, eating in the messiest, nastiest way possible, licking the honey of his fingers in such lewd way that Kuzuryu threw them ( as if Hinata had any part in it ! ) poisonous glares over the table, and just looking at Hinata with _those_ eyes, and _this_ smile.

Hinata couldn’t really explain what _these_ were exactly, but Komaeda knew the effect they had on him, and had turned them into a weapon. Which was why Hinata didn’t buy for one second the innocent look that his boyfriend gave him.

“What do you mean ? I’m going to the diner since cleaning it is my first task of the day. What about you ? Shouldn’t you be with Tsumiki at the hospital ?” He blinked, and Hinata was amazed by how genuine he sounded when he played the “I did nothing wrong” act.

As he was trying to walk away, Hinata caught him a little more violently by the shoulders and trapped him more efficiently against the wall. Still playing his part, the other smiled brightly.

“You know that I realized that we never had sex against a wall Hinata ?” he said. “Everyone is gone, we could try it here, don’t you think ?”

Hinata choked on his own saliva and lessened his grip on Komaeda, though the white-haired boy didn’t seem to run away from him anymore.

“What ?” he said. “I’m not having sex with you ! I’m angry at you !”

Komaeda rolled his eyes.

“You’re not angry at me, Hinata. When you’re angry you avoid me and sulk at the beach. You’re aroused,” he concluded, with a satisfied grin that made Hinata’s skin crawl.

He unconsciously moved even closer from Komaeda, absent-mindedly noting that he was so much warmer than usual. Almost as a reflex, the other boy melted against Hinata, their body espousing each other without difficulty,  and he wouldn’t have been surprised to hear him purr.

“Of course I’m aroused after your little display ! I’m angry because I’m aroused !”

“Hmm” Komaeda replied. “Okay then, let’s deal with this and you’ll stop being angry, right ?” His eyelids lowered in the most seductive way. “You’re sure you don’t want to have sex against the wall. That seems… exotic.”

Hinata’s face flushed. He remembered how, only three months ago, Komaeda still had some qualms showing the slightest hint of affection toward him. The first time he had decided to slip his hand into Hinata’s, one day where both of them had been enjoying some free time at the park, had been a huge step for their relationship.

Not that he wasn’t happy that Komaeda was now able to vocalize his desires but…

“Can you get your mind out of the gutter just one second ?” he said, getting more angry than he should to hide how quickly the other one had managed to turn the situation around - but then, what did he expect, it was Komaeda.

And he didn’t seem ready to stop, sighing dramatically before he managed to slide his hands along Hinata’s arms, until they were loosely gripping his shoulders, mirroring his position.

“It because” he said, his fingers playing with the collar of his shirt “you made me a sex addict, Hinata. I’m scared that can’t be help. You were too tired yesterday to fuck me nice and good so I had to make sure to rile you up this morning.”

How was he able to say this kind of thing with the same tone that he would use to talk about the weather, without a hint of shame on his face ? Hinata didn’t know.

“Oh my god, stop it !” he almost yelled, mortified. “You’re not blaming me for this stuff and - AH !”

Without a warning, Komaeda had jumped, high enough to wrap his legs around Hinata’s waist, using his shoulder as a support to up himself. Hinata just had the time to slam him against the wall to not lose his balance and to move his hands under the other’s ass to keep him where he was without hurting him.

He heard Komaeda’s laugh against his ear, though with the position they were in, there was no way Hinata could see his face.

“You did it, Hinata !” he said, ecstatic “You really can lift me !”

The stirring in his arms was saying something else, but he didn’t grace it with an answer.

“But I guess we should have taken our clothes off before, uh ?” he said, thoughtfully. “That won’t be easy to undress like that.”

“We are so not having sex like that” Hinata hissed. “No one can have sex like that.”

“I saw people who did it on the Internet” Komaeda replied matter-of-factly. “It seemed easy enough.”

_What even…_

“Well, it’s not the Internet, it’s the reality, and if you don’t want your ass on the floor in five seconds you better get down right now,” he snapped.

With an openly-disappointed face, Komaeda put his two feet on the ground and leaned away from Hinata who was keeping a firm hold on the other’s waist.

“Are you still angry at me ?” He said, smile bright and charming.

“Yes” Hinata replied, and it was only a half-lie.

Pouting, Komaeda started to pepper sweet, nice kisses all over Hinata’s face while his hands were busy with his pants’ belt. After a few second, he lowered himself in front of the suspicious bump that betrayed Hinata’s arousal.

“Let me take care of your anger issue ?” he breathed, looking at the other with pleading eyes.

Hinata moaned against his will when Komaeda’s fingers grazed his crotch. He leaned his forehead against the wall in front of him. For some reason, he felt like he was the one being trapped right now.

“Yeah” he said breathily, and gently cupped Komaeda’s cheek with one of his hand, rising his head toward him. “You know, I say it counts as wall sex at the end of the day.”

Komaeda’s genuine laugh was the most beautiful sound in the world and the last thing he heard before he started to destroy even the concept of anger in Hinata’s mind with his way-too-skilled tongue.


	8. Uncovered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seeing everything means seeing things you didn't expect.
> 
> ( prompt : strip-tease )

It’s becoming a habit : Komaeda and him, kissing and clinging to the other like if their lives depends on it, grinding against each other like the teenagers they didn’t have the time to be, and this _want_ which is running through them at an exhilarating pace. It is always at this moment that Hinata tries to slip his hands under Komaeda’s shirt, desperately trying to touch more of this pale skin…

.. and it is always at this moment that Komaeda jumps away from him as if he has been burnt, and apologizes profusely.

“Uh… it’s fine ?” Hinata replies, because it is the right answer of course. “Just… what’s wrong ?”

Komaeda is avoiding his eyes and just shakes his head, and it is in these moments that Hinata wishes he could understand the other better.

“Nothing,” he says, not even bothering to find a good lie. “It was very nice, but it’s getting late, I need to go back to my cottage.”

“Okay, goodnight then” Hinata says, but Komaeda is already gone and he is all alone in the theater, wondering why their dates always end up the same way.

*

“Maybe he is self-conscious ?” Koizumi suggests when he tells her about it, taking a bite of her ice-cream.

They are both near the pool, looking at Kazuichi and Gundham who has been forced to clean it under Koizumi’s supervision after they skipped the cleaning duty last time. Hinata is just there because lying on a deck chair is nice, and Koizumi is always blunt and honest, and he trusts her to not try and coddle him.

Hinata tilts his head on the side, studying the possibility.

“I don’t know” he says “I mean the first day we met he didn’t hesitate to join all of you at the beach, do you remember ? I feel like it was a lifetime ago, by the way.”

Koizumi hums before informing Kazuichi that the left side of the pool still needs some attention. Then she is back on Hinata’s case, looking at him very seriously.

“I’m sorry, I can’t really help you, I don’t talk with the guy that much. I’m just saying that our bodies aren’t the same than they were in the simulation, that’s all.” She sighs. “Also, why don’t guys just _talk_ when they have a problem. It’s not that hard !”

Koizumi is right, of course she is, and Hinata ends up by knocking on Komaeda’s door, determined to have The Talk, promising himself that he won’t falter, won’t let himself be seduced or riled up by Komaeda’s words, won’t become embarrassed or angry. He is a well-adjusted person and he can do it.

“Hinata ?” Komaeda opens the door, his face showing surprise at his appearance.

He is wearing his jacket, and now that Hinata thinks about it, he hasn’t seen Komaeda without his jacket since he woke up. Even when he was working on his robot hand. Maybe Koizumi hit the bull’s eyes, he realizes. He never took Komaeda for someone self-conscious but he can be wrong.

“We need to talk” Hinata says, and when he sees the other’s eyes widens, he thinks that he could have chosen different words that these ones. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing too serious.”

He hopes.

Komaeda nods tentatively and lets him in. His cabin is always so damn nicer than his, it’s always clean and it smells… well, Komaeda, actually. Which is a smell Hinata almost developed a Pavlovian reflex at. He could sniff it all day, as strange as it sounds.

… anyway.

Komaeda is standing in the middle of the room, not asking any question with his mouth, but a thousand of them with his eyes, and Hinata knows that the time has come. He just wishes he knew how to start the conversation.

“Uh” he says ( great, very articulated ) “Aren’t you hot with your jacket ?”

“My… jacket ?” Komaeda looks at himself, as if he hasn’t realized he was wearing it. “No, I’m fine. I’m used to it, you know.”

“Would it… bother you to take it off ?” he keeps going, because even if it’s not the best path he could have chosen, now that he started to follow it, he swore he wouldn’t back down.

Komaeda blinks, obviously confused. “Is there a reason why you want me to take it off ?”

“Just… trust me ? I’m just trying to understand you better” he tries, knowing that he is playing dirty there, but for all the times Komaeda is the one being a manipulative shit, he isn’t feeling that guilty about it. It’s also… not really a lie.

Conflicted, Komaeda plays with the sleeves of his jacket, looking right at Hinata. Suddenly, his eyes lights up with understanding.

“Are you that bothered by our lack of sexual activities ?” he asks, as blunt as ever.

And great. Now he sounds like a jerk who is trying to force his boyfriend into something he doesn’t want to.

“No”, he says calmly, since the cat is out of the bag anyway “I’m just wondering why you hide your body so much. You do know that I’m… attracted to you, right ?”

Komaeda snickers, and Hinata could almost think he is starting to relax if his hands weren’t tightened around his jacket’s fabric.

“Yes, Hinata, you made it abundantly clear” he says, smiling. “I’m still mind-blown by this fact, but I guess I should just consider I’ve been very lucky.”

“Okay, well, I’m allowed to find you hot since we’re dating and all.” he says, and he can feel his cheeks burning, and how did he even think he would could go through this discussion without some dose of humiliation ? “I’m just saying, whatever you think I’m going to find repulsive, I won’t. I swear. Like, even if you have a third nipple or no belly button.”

Komaeda is still smiling. “That’s very sweet, Hinata. But I think you misunderstood the situation. I don’t have any kind of deformity, and I know you wouldn’t care, you’re too kind for that. But Hinata…”

His smile falters. He is gripping the fabric of his jacket so tightly that it’s about to be ripped apart.

“.. I have scars”, he says after taking a deep breath.

Hinata waits for a few seconds, wondering if there is more, but nothing.

“Don’t we all ?” he inquires. “I mean, after everything we’ve been through… you really shouldn’t feel bad about it.”

Himself doesn’t have anything - Kamukura was _that_ good apparently - beside a ugly scars on the top of his head that he needs two mirrors to see and is kinda hidden by his hair anyway, but he knows that everyone else on the island has some physical sequels from the Tragedy and the following events.”

Komaeda bites the interior of his cheeks, and Hinata thinks that he would pay anything, just to know what is wrong, and how to fix it.

“I don’t care about them.” he says. “I just don’t want you to see them, and you don’t want to see them either.”

Hinata feels some irritation rising. “I think I can decide for myself, right ?”

Komaeda hesitates, then shrugs, and the next moment, he has taken off his jacket, letting it fall on the floor. At first, Hinata can’t see anything but the white skin of his arms, until the other points out thin paler scars running on his forearm. Hinata holds his breath, an uncomfortable feeling pooling in his chest.

“Is it…” he starts, not managing to let the rest out.

“No.” Komaeda says matter-of-factly. “It’s not. It’s something stupid that I did a long time ago, when I thought I could control my luck. I thought that doing that would count as ‘bad luck’, I guess,” he laughs, and it’s so devoid of joy and Hinata’s head hurts. “I was… really stupid back then. Luck isn’t something you can control like that, right ?”

Komaeda doesn’t let Hinata the time to answer or recover. He takes off his shirt, and Hinata can’t breath because it’s the first time since they are back in the real world that he sees Komaeda’s chest, and it shouldn’t be so sad, because there is a large burn on his belly, that disappears behind his back.

“This” he says “is from an airplane crash when I was in Hope’s Peak. I’m selfish. I knew what would happen, and I still went. Everyone died except for me. And this” he keeps going, pointing at a smaller mark near his heart, “well, you know what that is, right ?”

Hinata’s blood runs cold.

“When I… when Kamukura… shot you ?” he whispers. “I didn’t know it had let a mark.”

Komaeda gives him a serious look.

“Everything leaves a scar. Even a Hope’s Peak handbook.”

He takes off his pants, and there are another set of white scars that Komaeda probably inflicted to himself. There is also two bigger scars on his thighs, ugly and still very much visible. He chuckles while seeing them.

“There are from Towa. Fukawa and Naegi’s sister gave them to me, and I think I didn’t bother clean it up. No one did. It’s a wonder I didn’t get some kind of infection from them, right ?”

“Komaeda…” Hinata tries to say “You don’t have to…”

“No !” he cuts him off, still smiling. “I’m fine. I know who I am, and I was selfish for keeping that away from you. Look at what you have when you have me, Hinata.” his smile turns ugly. “Isn’t it beautiful ?”

“ _Shut up_ ! Yes, it’s fucking beautiful, so shut up !” he yells.

The other boy shrugs once again.

“I’m not done.” Komaeda’s voice is so cold by now and Hinata can’t believe how far away the conversation strayed. He doesn’t even get what his boyfriend is trying to say and he is starting to think he doesn’t want to understand.

He watches him fight with his robotic hand for a few seconds, before the device falls on the floor, joining the jacket. Komaeda is breathless, still standing in the middle of the room as if it was a god damn show, and his missing hand creates a weird disparity in his figure. Still, Hinata does his best to not say anything, looking straight at Komaeda.

“And of course, this”, he says. “I did it myself. I wanted to. Do you want to know why ?”

“No” Hinata says firmly. “I don’t.”

Because it doesn’t matter.

“Hm-hm” Komaeda smiles brightly “It’s so easy, you know. So easy to scare you off, I have to be really careful about that, all the time. I guess two months were… something, right ? Trying to hide so much is exhausting at the end. Let’s break up, alright ?”

“Wh… what ? What do you mean ?”

How. How did it happen, why did he have to open his stupid mouth. He feels panic rises in his chest. Komaeda is so, so calm in comparison, and Hinata feels so damn angry because he is trying to break up without even stopping to smile.

“I mean that you’re easy to read. You want me to dress, and you want me to put my hand back, and you want me to talk to other people about their days and their hobbies, and you want me to stop talking about my luck and anytime I talk about it you remind me that you’re here to balance it as if it erased everything, and you don’t have me to talk about hope and despair because it’s bad for me, and Towa, and everything we do when we were in despair because it wasn’t us anyway, and every people who are dead because I was here, and would be happy if I wasn’t.” Komaeda’s voice is shaking by now. “Hinata, you are really not good with scars. And it’s just” his hand makes a gesture in direction of his body “everything I am. And I managed to trick you for a while, but that’s over.”

Hinata breathes out slowly once Komaeda is done. He has five seconds to react, and why is being with Komaeda such complicated thing. He is angry at himself for thinking that everything was fine.

“You are not letting your past destroying your future” he says, firmly. “If you really want to break up, I won’t force you to stay - I can’t. But I love you. And these five minutes, as uncomfortable they were for me, don’t change anything about it.”

“Ah, you’re saying that !” Komaeda claps his hands together, amused. “Alright, then. We can forget what just happened, if you want, does it sound good ? You can leave now, and when I’ll see you next time I’ll be just like you want me, and we’ll kiss again, longer since you won’t try to touch me everywhere anymore. That sounds nice, right ?”

He can’t win like that, he realizes. Komaeda is stubborn and he knows Hinata so much more than himself knows him and this is endlessly frustrating him. He looks at Komaeda’s scars, at his missing hand, and he wonders if Komaeda is right somewhere, if Hinata needs to stop running away from everything he doesn’t want to face. Scars, uh ? That’s a word for it.

He takes a deep breath and look at his boyfriend.

“I’m leaving, if that’s what you want. But next time we end up kissing like last time, I’ll still try to touch you. Because you’re my boyfriend and you’re super hot.”

Komaeda chuckles but there is not light in his eyes.

“Then I’ll stop you again.”

“Okay.” Hinata says. “It’s fine. I hope one day you’ll feel comfortable enough to allow me that. In the meantime, I’ll focus on what I have.” And his smile is more genuine than he thought it would be. “It’s beautiful. Scars included.”

He thinks he sees something flickering in Komaeda’s eyes, but it’s so brief and it once second later, it’s already gone.

“You should really take an easier path” the other sighs, putting a hand in front of his face, and Hinata imagines that he is trying to hide a smile.

“I can’t” he says. “You’ wouldn’t be on it.”


	9. Keeping contact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Distance makes the heart grows fonder, so they say.
> 
> ( prompt : sexting )

Hinata smiles with relief when the Future Foundation’s car he is on the backseat of passes through the headquarters security perimeter. He has been away for more than a month, by now, going from exhausting missions to nerve-wracking ones without a break between them, and while helping the world gives him this feeling of usefulness he craves… he just wants to go home. He just wants to go home and surprises Komaeda, who still has no idea that he is supposed to be back tonight. He grabs his phone, decided to tease him a little.

**‘Hey, what are you doing ?’**

The reply comes less than a minute later.

**‘Missing you :3’**

Hinata snickers. Yeah right.

**‘I hope you’ve been doing something else since I’m gone.’**

**‘Believe it or not missing you makes me really… active ?’**

Oh, Hinata can believe it alright. He trusts Komaeda, but that doesn’t mean he can’t ask discreetly to Naegi if everything went fine while he was gone. Before he can send an answer, his phone buzzes again.

**‘Especially at night… without you I have to entertain myself.’**

Hinata throws a glance at the driver who - of course - doesn’t care about what he is doing. He licks his lips. Komaeda wants to play this game ? Alright then. They have five minutes away from the condo they are sharing, anyway.

**‘Say, Komaeda, what are you wearing ?’**

It’s a little cliché, but Hinata has no time to think of something more creative.

**‘Nothing. The air conditioner is broken. A stroke of bad luck, I guess.’**

Just the idea of Komaeda walking around their apartment naked makes him wish he was already back. His phone buzzes again.

**‘I’m lying on the bed, imagining you there with me. It’s been so long, you don’t know what I’d do if you were there.’**

He has some idea but… he leans comfortably against his seat.

**‘I’m curious now.’**

**‘I just really want you to touch me. I never manage to make it right alone. You are the only one who knows how to do it’**

He thinks about how receptive Komaeda is, how he has learnt to make his body sing in the most beautiful way possible. His fingers shake when he replies.

**‘Where do you want me to touch you ?’**

**‘You know where. I can feel your fingers, Hinata. I’ve been so tight without you. So alone.’**

Komaeda is always tight whenever they are sleeping together after a few weeks apart. Like a first time all over again, but better because they already know everything about the other.

**‘Are you fingering yourself ?’**

**‘Yes. It feels so good, I’m crying. I’m sorry.’**

**‘Don’t be. Can you do something for me ?’**

The car slows down in front of Hinata’s home, and he thanks the driver before rushing out of the vehicle. His phones comes to life once again.

**‘Anything. It’s hard to text, now. I’m going to come. Hinata, you’re so good to me.’**

His fingers run through the keys.

**‘Don’t. Be good and nice and prepare yourself for me.’**

**‘I’ll be good.’**

When he arrives in front of his door, he is glad no one is here to see him all hot and bothered, a boner starting to be visible in front of his pants. He plans to sneak into the bedroom, to surprise Komaeda and… well, to devour him until morning, honestly.

He can’t think a better way to spend his first night home.

He opens the door and the first thing he sees is…

Komaeda, on the couch, dressed with his favorite - and very ugly - pajama, watching a movie on the computer, a bowl filled with popcorn beside him. He doesn’t have the time to react to the unexpected yet familiar scene, because Komaeda raises his head toward him, beaming, and as cheesy as it sounds, his smile is turning Hinata’s brain in a mush.

‘Hajime !’ he says, leaping off the couch and throwing himself at his boyfriend, hugging him fiercely, and Hinata enjoys this first physical contact since forever. ‘I didn’t know you’ll be back tonight” Then he laughs a little, unable to express anything but pure joy it seems. “I guess you hoped for something else, uh ? Sorry for not living up to your expectations”

Hinata is busy laying a thousand little kisses all over Komaeda’s face and he chuckles too. He is back. He is home.

“I’m getting everything I hoped for” he replies running his hand through his boyfriend’s hair. It’s a little shorter than when he left. “Now, what are you watching ?”

“Breakfast Club” Komaeda says, smiling excitedly. “I’m twenty minutes in, but I can put it back to the beginning if you want”

They settle on the couch, and Hinata buries his face into Komaeda’s neck and hair, and while the movie is still going on, they barely look at it, too busy discovering each other all other again.

_I’m home_ , Hinata thinks when he manages to tear a whine out of Komaeda with a well-placed lick on his collarbone. _Finally._


	10. Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The problem when you're your worst ennemy, it's that you're never safe. Even when you're sleeping.
> 
> ( prompt : waking up from a wet dream screaming the other's name )

Hinata wakes up with a coppery taste in his mouth and cold sweat covering his body, and he thrashes around his bed, pushing away the sheets, trying to get away from the last remains of the dream he just escaped. A nightmare… or something else… he feels a familiar warmth in his lower half and suddenly he feels _sick_.

Beside him, half-laying and half-sitting on the bed, Komaeda is rubbing his eyes, confused by what’s happening right now.

“Hinata…” he whispers. “You… you were screaming my name… right ? What’s going on ?”

His voice is raspy and still asleep, and he stretches his metallic hand toward the panicked boy who jerks away from the bed. He doesn’t want Komaeda to touch him. Not after what he just dreamed… not after the sick arousal that is still there, under the disgust and the terror.

_There is so much blood, there are corpses everywhere, and he couldn’t care less, for the only thing he is focused on is the crazy-eyed boy under him, all blue and black and red, who is pushing him inside, digging his heels on his back, begging despite his state for Hinata to use him and…_

Something twists in his stomach and he runs toward the bathroom, barely fast enough to reach the toilet seat before he throws up what seems to be the last three meals he took. His hands are holding the seat’s porcelain tightly, but his whole body just won’t stop shaking.

_The physical response is predictable, but that’s not what’s interesting. The boy has been treating him in the most interesting way since they have come in contact, a different way, as if he expects something of him and this expectation is enough to submit entirely, to accept anything, and not with any kind of contrivance. He is interested in knowing how far he can push him before he breaks._

_He leans toward the boy’s shoulder, his mouth open, and he bites, hard enough to taste blood. The other screams as if he has been murdered and the scream turns into a strangled moan with the next thrust of his hips._

Hinata’s stomach contracts painfully, but nothing else comes out, and he feels tears at the corner of his eyes. He is such a mess.

He hears a knock and raises his head to see Komaeda, looking at him by the door, his curious, cautious expression telling him that he is not going back to bed without an explanation - but to be honest, after what just happened, he doesn’t feel like sleeping anymore.

He gives Komaeda his poorest attempt of a smile, and in exchange, the other quietly offers him a glass of water. He makes sure that his fingers doesn’t graze Komaeda’s when he takes it.

“Nightmare ?” Komaeda says after a few seconds of them being just there, Hinata drinking his water and grimacing at the shitty taste in his mouth - still better than blood.

He leans his back against the wall, enjoying how cold it is on his naked skin, and nods, unsure of his voice at this moment. Beside, Komaeda doesn’t need to know the whole truth, not about it.

“Is it your memory from Kamukura ?” Komaeda tries again.

Hinata shouldn’t be so irritated. He doesn’t like how cautious Komaeda’s tone is, how he is walking toward him like someone would walk toward a small, easily-scared animal. Komaeda is just as - if not more - fucked up than he is, and he would appreciate if he didn’t try to play the responsible caregiver.

It would be easier if the white-haired boy has spend the night in his own cottage, but the truth is that they sleep together more often than not lately, and Hinata doesn’t mind that much.

Except for this kind of situation, where it would be so much easier to be alone.

“No.” Hinata mumbles, and his voice was terrible he could hear it. “You were in there.”

Let’s not dig into the details, he thinks. Let’s not.

“Oh.” Komaeda replies, and there is so much in this ‘oh’ that Hinata feel like he is going to throw up again.

“And it wasn’t a memory because we never met in Towa, right ?” Hinata says.

He is trying to catch something, anything, that would betray some knowledge that Komaeda has. Himself doesn’t remember everything. Maybe it’s because of the surgery, but amongst their group, he is the one who has the most blanks in his timeline, and no one to really fill it since he was mostly alone during his time as despair.

“We didn’t” Komaeda agrees, and Hinata curses the other boy to be so good at lying, and himself to be so bad at discerning the truth.

“Okay,” he says.

He will fight, one day. But now it’s two a.m, his whole body hurts and he wants to wash his brain with bleach. He knows he can pry the truth out of Komaeda, he knows he can. The other won’t resist long, if Hinata really wants to know, but does he ? Is there even a better option, between Hinata’s mind conjuring this sick fantasy of his own, of the whole thing being a memory ? Isn’t it better to stay in Schroedinger’s hell, where the cat is already dead but as long as they don’t open the box, they can still pretend he isn’t ?

And Komaeda smiles at him with such tenderness -  as if he had just listened to everything Hinata was thinking -  that he wants to disappear. The other holds out his real hand.

“Let’s go back to bed ?”

“No” Hinata says. “I’m staying here.”

It’s stupid and there is no reason for it, and now that his body isn’t shaking, he is starting to get cold, but he really, really doesn’t want to go back to their bedroom. A part of him just can’t.

Komaeda nods, but instead of leaving him there, he sits beside him, close so that Hinata can feel the warmth coming from his body, but not close enough for them to touch, and for the first time since he woke up, he feels like he can breath a little better.

“Good night, Hinata !” Komaeda smiles, closing his eyes, and pretending to fall asleep immediately.

Hinata doesn’t answer and rolls his eyes as the obviously fake snoring noises that the other make. He tries to put himself to sleep, his brain slowly evacuating everything from his… nightmare.

When he wakes up the next day, his body hurts so much that he wonders how he is going to stand up, but his head fell onto Komaeda’s shoulder during the night, and Komaeda somehow managed to intertwine their fingers without waking him up, and he thinks that there are worst ways to starts the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm done ! I finally moved all my Komahina prompts here. I'm actually pretty proud of all these prompts, even the first ones that were a little wobbly ~ I don't have enough drabbles/one-shot for any other pairings for now, but I'll do the same for the others when the time comes.  
> Obviously, if you have a prompt you want to see me write ( for Koma/Hina or not ), don't hesitate to send me an ask to all-my-lovely-fics.tumblr.com
> 
> Cheers !


	11. Taking a break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post canon, where Komaeda and Hinata are working for FF.  
> Taking a break isn't easy for Hinata.

“You look really tired.”

Hinata turns away from the computer he has been working on for _three hours_ , trying to finish the assignement Togami gave him about the situation in Kyoto, toward his friend, offering him a ‘are you kidding me ?’ look.

“Do I ?” he mumbles, definitely too exhausted to pull off a witty come-back.

They are in the room they share since they started to work for Future Foundation, months ago. Strangely, they managed to get along pretty well during this time. Komaeda isn’t the worst roomate someone could have : he cleans up his side of the room ( and Hinata’s when he is too busy ), he is  quiet, respectful of his private life, and a formidable debater.

“Hinata” the white-haired boy calls him with a way-too-serious look on his face for the absurdities he is about to say “at this rate the bags under your eyes are going to eat your whole face, you know. I’m worried about it.”

This time Hinata doesn’t even grace Komaeda with an answer because this report _needs to be perfect_. And what if he barely slept these last three days ? What if the food has the taste of cardboard, just so that he can’t enjoy it and knows he has to hurry back to work ? What if each passing second is another moment of frustration for Izuru Kamukura, stuck forever with Hajime Hinata, boring reserve course student ?

 _Kamukura would have finished this in a few hours_ , he thinks, not really sure if that’s true or not, but it’s a thought that motivates him to work even harder, and he concludes that this is why it popped in his brain so suddenly.

“You really need to sleep” Komaeda says - _so annoying, can’t he just accept that there is work that needs to be done._ “You can’t go on like this.”

“Are you really giving me self-care advice ?” He replies, his voice a little colder than he intended to. “Do you think you are qualified for that ?”

The other boy falls silent after that, and Hinata tries to not feel too guilty about it. How does his well-being compare to the world’s safety ? If he doesn’t use every minutes of the time at his disposal to undo the damages he…

Komaeda’s clear voice interrupts his thoughts.

“Then, I ask for a date.”

Hinata is so shocked that he taps on the letter ‘g’ instead of ‘h’ on the keyboard, and he raises his head to look at a determined-looking Komaeda.

“A date ?” he repeats, the word tasting foreign on his tongue.

“Yes” smiles Komaeda. “Do you remember that you promised me that we could always spend one afternoon doing what I wanted together in order to start to understand each others ? I called it a date and you didn’t say it wasn’t so…”

“ _It was ages ago”_ Hinata rolls his eyes. “I said that when we were all on the island. Everyone was scared that you would try to poison us all or something, and I wanted to prove them you were okay.”

Well, more or less. He also liked how people seemed to avoid Komaeda back there, and thus how he could not be bothered by everyone’s problems when he hung out with him.

The white haired boy’s eyes shines with an amused light.

“You never decided on a expiration date for this promise, if I remember correctly. So, Hinata, I decided that this afternoon, we would have a date. _A nap-date_ , more precisely. Our activity consist in napping. In a bed.”

“Are you kidding me ?” pleads Hinata. “I have this report to write and…”

“So are you backing down on your word ?”

It’s infuriating. Komaeda’s mouth is twisted in the shit-eating grin he always have when he is playing games, especially when he knows he is winning. He is right : Hinata is too tired to fight him, even if one part of his brain is screaming at him that _no one cares about this promise_ an that _he has something to do_. He is exhausted. So exhausted that the words on the screen are starting to get blurry - or, no, wait, this is because of the tears of frustration in his eyes.

“You aren’t even tired, why are you insisting on this nap-date so much ?”

Komaeda tilts his head in the direction of his own bed.

“I started an amazing novel this morning, about a young boy travelling all around the world with his loyal friends. I can do that while you are sleeping, I don’t mind.”

“That doesn’t sound like a date.” Hinata notices, half-defeated already.

“Well, really” Komaeda giggles behind his hand. “I’m the one who called it a date, you’re the one telling me we would do what I wanted. Between you and me, we both know who is the most sensible person here is, right ?”

“Right.”

He doesn’t say anything more, just look blankly at the screen while the computer is shutting off, and doesn’t move from his seat until the ventilator stops rotating, drowning the room into a welcome quietness.

Komaeda looks at him with attention while he stumbles until his bed, almost moaning with pleasure when the soft matress welcomes his body, and he thinks he could fall asleep right now if his brain wasn’t screaming at him to _go back to work, you weak, average, boring, uninteresting person, how dare you rest when people are dying by your fault everywhere and you could save them and…_

“Komaeda ?” he mumbles into his pillow.

“Yes, Hinata ?” the other’s voice reaches him from the other side of the room.

“Could you read aloud, please ?”

“Of course.”

Komaeda can’t see him smile, in the position he is in, and he starts reading, his beautiful voice filling Hinata’s head with words of adventure and future, and all these wonderful things they are trying to make him believe in here, at Future Foundation, but only exist in the space between Komaeda and him in this moment, with this book.

He sighs, and lets the sleep takes him far, far away.


	12. Cloudy days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, established relationship.
> 
> Being together means something for Hinata.

“I told you” Hinata hissed as soon as they were back in his - well, _their_ , really - cottage. “I’m fine with you being there during the meeting with Future Foundation, but you can’t keep following Naegi’s opinion on everything !”

Komaeda frowned, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“Do you mean that if you didn’t allow it, I couldn’t be at the meeting ?” He replied “Has your ‘everyone is equal, there is no leader among us’ been thrown into the sea while I wasn’t looking ?”

Hinata feels himself blush. That was so unfair on the other’s part to throw that at him. For a while, no one wanted to take part in the meetings, because no one was interested in spending five hours in front of a computer, talking to boring people who - for most of them - wanted them dead.

So yes, it was more of less Hinata thing. Until Komaeda apparently realized that being at the meeting would allow him to watch Naegi’s face or whatever, and asked Hinata if he could join them during their next session.

Hinata didn’t mind the company. He minded that Komaeda never seemed tired of contradict him in front of everyone, weakening the position of everyone in this island.

“I’m just saying” he spat “that if you just want an hour where you can kiss Naegi’s ass, we can arrange another skype just for the two of you, okay ? You don’t need to pretend that you are interested in everyone’s well-being”

Komaeda’s eyes turned _deadly_.

“Hinata, _you’re such a bitch_ , you know that ?”

Okay, that was new. Hinata felt unsure how to answer at first : his boyfriend just wasn’t the type to be so openly rude with him.

“Really, this is what you think ?” he snapped back, ready to kick the white-haired boy out of _his_ room.

“ _Yes_.”

“Wonderful. And do you want to know what _I_ think ?”

Komaeda snickered.

“Of course Hinata ! Tell me your oh-so-deep and personal thoughts, go on !”

“I think that you enjoy how you can treat me like shit in front of everyone from Future Foundation, and especially Naegi. That you are punishing me by torpilling my arguments, _except it has fucking consequences, Komaeda_.”

The silence fell over them, only cut by their heavy breathing. Hinata knew the other boy was the most stubborn person he has ever met. It wasn’t their first disagreement, either, and he knew that there was fifty percent chances that Komaeda would end up spending the night in his cottage instead of Hinata’s, and fifty percent chances the day would end with some spectacular make-up sex.

Komaeda bit his lips, refusing to look directly at him.

“So I suppose I’m banned from any future meeting ?” he said.

“No” Hinata sighed, glad to see that the atmosphere was a little less electric. “But maybe we could talk beforehand ? I don’t want to fight alone, okay ? I’m glad for you to be here, because it feels like a team. That’s why I take it so personally when you turn against me.”

Another few seconds of silence, and Komaeda finally raised his head, his eyes meeting Hinata with hesitance, before a tentative smile flowered on his lips. His next words were almost playful.

“Us two against the rest of the world ?”

“As it should, be.” Hinata replied.


	13. Cloudy days ( 2 )

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being in a relationship with Nagito Komaeda isn't easy. Hinata never asked for easy, though.

“It’s okay” Komaeda says when everyone else is gone “You’ll forgive me.”

Hinata’s eyes turn into ice when he hears these words. Komaeda doesn’t even look sorry.

“Oh, will I ?”

He focuses on the broken glass on the floor, gathering the bits with shaking hands - which might not be the smartest thing to do. He just needs to occupy himself, because after the stunt the white-haired boy just pulled, he wants to forget he is right there in the same room.

“You’re going to get hurt.” Komaeda tells him matter-of-factly .

“Okay”.

For a few minutes it’s silence, and the ‘ _why’_ question starts to burn into his brain, as always when Komaeda does something like that. Tsumiki’s state has been stable for weeks, but she is still the most vulnerable of them all. Torturing her like Komaeda did, pushing all the right buttons in order to make her break down, that was just…

At the moment where he opens his mouth, Komaeda does the same.

“You’ll forgive me because you love me”

It’s not just the words that hit Hinata. It’s the smile, the tone, the everything in Komaeda’s posture that makes him want to throw the shards of glasses at him and _hurt_ him, and that’s such disgusting feeling that he is angry at the other boy for turning him into this person that he isn’t.

Of course, he doesn’t throw anything at Komaeda.

“Do I ?” he manages to say.

“You forgave me for trying to kill you all, Hinata. Are you really not going to forgive me for upsetting Tsumiki ?” He is genuinely curious, and Hinata has the unpleasant feeling that he is being tested.

“Well, have you ever considered it could be the last straw ? The last drop of water into an already-full cup ?” He says.

Silence again, and since Hinata still refuses to look at Komaeda, he doesn’t know what face he is making.

“I did, actually.” The other boy replies, sounding almost tired. “Your cup is incredibly large, it seems, but I don’t think it’s endless either. I think you are going to forgive me this time, though.”

After that, Hinata turns toward his boyfriend, whose face is half-hidden in the shadow because of the sunlight coming from behind him. And yet, it’s not hard to notice that he looks miserable. He sighs.

”I’m not a fucking cup, Nagito.”

Komaeda’s eyes open wide.

”But you’re the one who said…”

”It was an image.” He explains. “I’m not actually a cup, you jerk. You don’t just put all your shit in me and then we’re over. Have you ever been in a relationship or something ?”

”Have you ?” Komaeda asks, instead of answering.

”Well. I watched a bunch of romantic comedies, I guess that counts ?”

Komaeda nods, though Hinata isn’t sure he really heard the sheer idiocity of his answer. He is lost in thoughts, now.

”What about next time ?” He says. “Will you forgive me again ?”

”Why should there be a next time ?” Hinata replies, exasperated.

Komaeda hums quietly. He is shaking a little, and Hinata feels his anger melts a little. He walks throug the room, sitting beside the white-haired boy.

”Alright, you are right. I love you.” He smiles, enjoying the way Komaeda’s body react to these words, even if it’s the hundredth times he heard them. “I love you, so I’m not going to leave, okay ? _No, shut up, I’m talking_. You know, I wish I was enough to convince you of that. But I’m obviously not. Or you don’t trust me enough, I don’t know”

As expected, Komaeda lets out an offended gasp.

”What are you saying, Hinata ?” He says. “You are… you are amazing… you are the most trust-worthy person in this world, you are…”

”And yet” Hinata cuts him off “You don’t believe me.”

Komaeda’s lips keep moving without a sound coming out, but he is ready to wait a little. It’s nice, for once, to have the upper hand between the two. You bet that his boyfriend enjoys being a manipulative little shit from time to time, this is a great feeling.

”It wasn’t nice to Tsumiki. What I did.” Komaeda tells him.

”No, it wasn’t.”

”I should apologize ?”

”I don’t know, _should you_ ?”

Komaeda laughs at that, and Hinata can’t understand why he isn’t laughing like that all the time, because this is so ridiculously attractive, come on. Without thinking, he takes Komaeda’s face between his hands to peck his lips a couple of times. It’s quick, and shallow, but Komaeda doesn’t stop giggling whenever their lips separate for a short time, and they both end up short-breathed.

Komaeda is really, really close when he asks :

”Can I wait a little to apologize ?”

Hinata snorts.

”I don’t know, _can_ you-mph” his last word is barely out that Komaeda is already all over him, happy and radiant, and - even if he isn’t about to tell him that - full of hope.

And yes, Hinata thinks. Apologies can wait.


	14. Bored

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A meeting inside a bathroom turns into something nice.

They were in the middle of Kyosuke Munataka’s speech on the importance of communication between the different sections of Future Foundation when Komaeda felt something very light hitting him on the shoulder. Looking down, he saw a paper plane with a twisted nose lying on the floor, and after making sure everyone around him was still entranced by what was happening on the stage, he quickly picked it up, and unfolded it.

_Please come with me ? - Hinata_

The signature was completely unnecessary, of course ( he would recognize Hinata’s handwriting anywhere ), but Komaeda still smiled when reading it, because Komaeda was at this particular stage of smitten where pretty much everything about Hinata made him smile like an idiot.

He threw a quick look at Hinata, who was sitting a few chairs away from him, totally focused on the presentation it seemed. Then, Komaeda saw him leaning toward Kazuichi on his right, whispering something in his ears that didn’t drag any reaction out of him ( something that Komaeda definitely couldn’t comprehend because he had the bad habit to burn whenever Hinata was standing too close to him ) beside an uninterested nod.

_What could Hinata want with him ?_ Komaeda wondered. Whatever that was, it was important enough for him to skip the rest of the conference. He tried to not get too worried too fast, but it was a second nature. The message wasn’t the dreaded _we need to talk_ , well-known last words of so many romantic relationships but…

He took a deep breath. No over-thinking, right.

Without sparing a single glance in the white-haired boy’s direction, Hinata stood up and disappeared behind the bathroom’s door, and Komaeda stayed still on his chair for a few minutes, wondering if anyone would notice if he entered the bathroom at the same time at Hinata. Not that any of the conclusions they could draw from that would be wrong, per say, but he wasn’t sure Hinata would appreciate having their little story being exposed.

Not that keeping it secret seemed to be a priority there. Or maybe what Hinata wanted to talk about was so important that he would even risk their relationship being exposed to everyone to give him the message ? That seemed far-fetched but not impossible.

Realizing that he had spent five minutes not doing anything and that Hinata was probably starting to get annoyed, he quickly left his chair and managed to find his way between the chairs until the toilet.

“Hinata ?” He whispered when found himself into the very-white, very-bright room. “Are you he-mph.”

He barely had the time to hear a laugh before he found himself pressed against the door, his mouth thoroughly kissed by Hinata who was apparently very enthusiastic about making out with him inside a bathroom, when anyone else could enter

They had been together for a few months, and Komaeda almost acted by instinct by now, pressing back just the way he liked it, sliding his arms around Hinata’s waist to bring him closer for the simple pleasure to hear the little sound the other made whenever it happened.

For a few minutes, they just enjoyed each other, their kiss turning wet and their lips playful, until Komaeda sadly acknowledged that he needed oxygen more than he needed Hinata to survive and pushed his boyfriend away from him.

“Wow, Hinata” Komaeda said, a smile so big it was almost painful on his lips. “That was unexpected.”

Hinata hummed, his eyes bright with pleasure.

“The conference was so boring, and I noticed you were bored too so I thought we could help each other, right ?” His tone was light and joking, and attractive, and Komaeda was really conscious of the other boy’s hands on his ass.

“I wasn’t bored” He said.

“You still came here.” Hinata replied, very happy with himself. “I’m glad.”

_Of course I did. You asked me to_. Komaeda didn’t say any of that out loud and just nodded, leaning lazily against the door behind him before the other boy decided to gently bring him back closer, close enough to feel Hinata’s heat surround him once again.

The best feeling of the world, in Komaeda’s opinion.

“Wanna go back ?” Hinata suggested. “I can’t say I was listening, but now I feel bad for having taken you away from this.”

Komaeda almost wanted to laugh at this. The only answer he offered was another nice, deep kiss. He kept his eyes open, as weird as it sounds, enjoying Hinata’s enthralled expression, and the blush slowly creeping up on his face. When they separated, he was a _mess_ , unable to articulate a sentence for a few seconds before :

“Good” he croaked out, pulling Komaeda with him inside one of the stall.


	15. Subtelty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Semi-NSFW Prompt : "Successfully turning the other on".
> 
> Hinata thinks Komaeda isn't into him. Koizumi and the rest of the world thinks he is stupid.

“I’m just scared that he isn’t really into me.”

Koizumi gave him a flat, bored look over her cup of tea. For once, she wasn’t doing anything, just enjoying the sun near the pool, reading a bunch of magazines published before the Tragedy ( it was so surreal to see all these smiling people on the cover, unaware that their world was about to end ) and drinking some of the _darjeeling_ tea Kirigiri had brought with her a few weeks ago.

And because she was a nice person who couldn’t help but try to help everyone, she had accepted to hear Hinata about his problem. Though she seemed to regret that decision.

“You do realize” she replies, “that he would take a bullet for you, no question asked, right ?”

Hinata grimaced. He would argue that it wasn’t true but he couldn’t be sure that Komaeda would save his own life over Hinata’s in a situation like that. He was getting better, but Hinata would wait before testing how ‘better’ he really was. Anyway.

“That’s not… well I’m not asking him that, come on, you know what I mean.” He mumbled. “I’m wondering if he is into me _like that_.”

“Like that ?” Koizumi said with a reproving look. “You know what I think ? If you aren’t mature enough to pronounce the word ‘sex’, then you aren’t mature enough to have it.”

“I can say the word sex, I’m not a child.” He replied.

“Hm-hm. Right.” Koizumi apparently decided that she wasn’t interested in following this path. “Maybe he doesn’t think you are interested. Have you tried to be more forward ?”

Hinata rolled his eyes.

“Yes. I walked out of the bathroom while only wearing a towel ? And I bend right in front of him to get my clothes ?”

“ _I was asking if you discussed this matter with him, but thank you for the unneeded mental picture, Hinata_ ” His friend spat. “I swear, if we are really discussing your ridiculous sex life, I’m allowed to complain to you about my period.”

“That’s not the same thing” Hinata said.

“You’re right ! Periods are a very natural thing that has nothing to with sexuality and was only made taboo by our patriarchal society and…”

“Okay” Hinata cut her off “That’s really unfair, I totally get it. But what do you mean, talking to him ? I can’t just go see him and be like ‘hey, Nagito, want to have sex with me ?’, can I ?”

“Why not ?”

“Because this is weird !”

Koizumi’s sigh was probably heard through the whole island. Then she moved her head, watching behind Hinata before waving at someone he couldn’t see.

“Komaeda !” She yelled, filling Hinata with dread and horror. “Can you come here, please ? Hinata has something to ask you ?”

Hinata turned his head to see Komaeda on the other side of the pool, probably over-heating under his coat, walking toward them without realizing that he was now the instrument of Hinata’s misery.

And then… Was it good luck ? Was it bad luck ? It was always hard to tell with Komaeda, especially since Hinata’s luck was now interfering, but he saw Komaeda slip on a puddle, his eyes slowly widening as he realized that he was going to fall, before they closed, when he braced for the impact, as a reflex.

An impact that never came because if Hinata didn’t like to use Kamakura’s talents, he definitely wasn’t about to let his boyfriend get a broken skull because of his pride. He ran toward the white-haired boy, smashing into him at such speed that they both ended up in the water, drenched and confused, but _not dead_ , which was the main goal anyway.

“Komaeda” Hinata said holding the other boy against him while he was bringing them both near the edge of the pool.

It was unnecessary, Komaeda knew how to swim. But then again, he didn’t seem to fight Hinata’s grip too much either.

“Huh, yes, thank you Hinata” Komaeda mumbled, his cheeks flushed and his eyes avoiding the other boy as best as he could. “Sorry for putting you in this situation.”

Hinata couldn’t help the tenderness in his next words. He was a hero, he could be nice.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my morning, don’t worry about it.” He said.

“Ah…” Komaeda’s face was even redder as before. “Don’t say that.“

Hinata hummed, before pulling himself out of the water. He held his hands to Komaeda, just in case he needed some help, but the other boy started to chew on his lips.

“I think I’m going to wait a little while” He said.

“Uh ? Why ?”

“Well, it appears that I’m even more pathetic than I thought. Having you so close is… weird.”

In any other occasion, Hinata would have patiently explained Komaeda that he wasn’t pathetic and blablabla, but he couldn’t help but focus on something else.

“Weird ?” He said. “Good weird, you mean ?”

Komaeda made a throaty noise that sent shiver through Hinata’s spine.

“Yes ? A little too good, haha. As expected of me, I have my mind in a terrible place. Turning your heroic act into a sexual fantasy is… “

Komaeda kept babbling on, but the Hinata just thought that the other boy didn’t have any problem using the ‘word’ sex, and that he wasn’t sure why he felt a little annoyed by it. But also…

“Wait” He said, interrupting the other’s speech about how he was a terrible person “Did you get aroused because I was holding you ?”

For a second, he thought Komaeda was thinking about disappearing under water.

“Yes ? Sorry, I’m kind of easy. Or maybe you’re just really attractive. Or maybe both ?”

The boy tilted his head on the side, his hair falling pathetically around his face. Hinata felt a smile spread his lips.

“That’s great !”

Komaeda blinked a few times.

“Is it ?”

“Hey, Komaeda” Hinata kneeled on the floor, moving a lot closer of Komaeda who was still in the water. “Do you remember when we were into my room last time ? At some point I came out of the bathroom with only one towel, right ? Were you turning on too ?”

This time Komaeda _did_ hide under the water, probably trying to drown himself, which Hinata wasn’t about to let happen. Laughing, he caught his boyfriend’s arms, and pulled him toward him. The other seemed even more embarrassed to be held like that.

“I didn’t think you noticed…” he mumbled. “But then again, I’m not surprised you did, haha. You are pretty sharp, Hinata.”

“I am really not, but I’m glad you think so” Hinata smiled, pushing Komaeda’s hair away from his face so he would be able to kiss him properly.


	16. Proper Behaviour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, established relationship. Prompt : "trying to go down on the other, under the table, during dinner "
> 
> On how to test Kuzuryuu's patience.

_This is terrible idea_ , Hinata thought when he felt Komaeda’s hand travel between his thighs. _Kuzuryuu isn’t going to be happy_. 

He wasn’t happy at all when he surprised them both in the swimming pool two days before, making out like if their life was on stake, rutting against each other in bliss.

They didn’t have the time to finish anything, and they had still been forced to clean up the pool. Under Koizumi’s surveillance, since they were apparently unable to keep their hands away from each others. In Hinata’s opinion, none of his friends had any compassion for his situation of 22-years old virgin ( well, _almost_ virgin, it would be a lie to say that Komaeda and him had never done anything at all ), or they wouldn’t try so hard to sabotage him like that.

Hinata felt Komaeda’s hand move toward his belt, and he quickly caught it, glaring at the white-haired boy before tilting his head in the others’ direction. “Not here” he mouthed, hoping that his boyfriend would get the message.

Said boyfriend gave him a shit-eating grin. He didn’t get the message. And Kuzuryuu was already throwing them nasty looks from over the table. From all the people on the island, Hinata would have expected more understanding from the yakuza, with him being finally reunited with Pekoyama and all, but when Hinata had tried to bond over their common sexual frustration, Kuzuryuu was ridiculously uncooperative.

_“No, I don’t think about sex with Peko for now, because I actually respect her as a human being”_ He just said _._

The phrasing suggested that he didn’t think Hinata respected Komaeda, but it was totally wrong. He definitely respected Komaeda, all of him, and his friends were lucky he had some decency or he would be respecting Komaeda’s desires right in front of them if that wasn’t the case.

Komaeda started to play with his napkin, and Hinata should have known what he was planning, but his brain was probably not as irrigated as usual considering the amount of blood that has migrated south. He only got it when the napkin fell on the floor and Komaeda looked at him with a ‘oh, what a surprise’ expression that was so _fake_ it was barely a lie, that he got it, and didn’t make a noise when Komaeda disappeared under the table, kneeling in front of him, eager but waiting for Hinata to nod at him before doing anything.

And well, maybe Kuzuryuu was right. Maybe Hinata needed to start respecting Komaeda more, and he seemed so into it it would be a crime to deny him, right ? So he nodded lazily, and Komaeda’s eyes started to _burn_.

“ ** _OH HELL NO !_** ”

The scream was so loud that Hinata jumped. He had the reflex to put his hand between Komaeda’s head and the table, and the pain he felt when his fingers were crushed was almost enough to kill his arousal. At the other side of the table, Kuzuryuu was red-faced, definitely too outraged for someone whose family had done _human trafficking_ as far as Hinata knew. Sonia, Koizumi and Kazuichi were also looking at them, with a face that expressed interest, annoyance and mild-disgust respectively.

Komaeda managed to scramble back on his chair, his pink cheeks the only sign that anything out-of-ordinary had happened, showing proudly his napkin to the audience.

“Here it is !” He said. “I’m so glad I didn’t lose it, this napkin is really important !”

Hinata nodded, aware of every eyes looking at him.

“Hum, yeah, it’s great, it’s such relief” He replied, fighting the urge to cough.

“Hinata. Komaeda.” Kuzuryuu said. “Out.”

They went out.


	17. Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, more or less established relationship : A rocket crashes on the survivors' island. Hinata meets Komaeda's 'little sister'

 

The first thing Hinata notices when he enters the hotel’s lobby, is that Sonia finally managed to connect the TV Kazuichi managed to fix up a few days before to the network, and that Keeping Up with the Kardashians is up.

The second thing he notices is that there is a green-haired teenager with a frown on her face and a cup of hot cocoa in her hands who is sitting on the couch next to their local princess, and that she doesn’t seem to like what’s on screen very much.

“She is so stupid.” The girl decides, gesturing in direction of a couple of girls screaming at each others - which makes it impossible to determine who this ‘stupid’ comment is for. “She was falsely accused anyway, why should she respect the law if that treats her unfairly ?”

Sonia cocks her head on the side, sipping her tea in such graceful way that Hinata doesn’t move, entranced for the shortest moment.

“Now, now, Monaca. It’s a parent’s duty to help their children to become upstanding citizens, don’t you think ?” She turns her head toward the teenager whose face isn’t the most convinced one, and probably catches a glimpse of Hinata standing here, for she smiles at him.

“Welcome back Hajime ! How was the meeting with Future Foundation ? Enlightening I’m sure ?” She asks. 

“Uh.” He replies, because the girl - Monaca - is looking at him with such disinterested look that he could very well be beige paint drying on the wall. “It was okay. Nothing unusual. Naegi says hello to everyone.”  

Sonia nods.

“Very well, I’m glad to hear that.” She looks at the girl next to her for a few seconds before her eyes widen. “Oh ! I can’t believe I didn’t make the presentation. Hajime Hinata, this is Monaca Towa. She arrived this morning. Monaca, this is Hajime. He can seem a little rough on the edges, as they said, but don’t worry about it.”

“Uh” Hinata says.

Monaca seems almost as confused at he is.

“Wait, you are Hinata ?” Her eyes move up and down, examining him as if he is a particularly fascinating insect before she starts pouting. “You don’t look special at all.”

Somedays, Hinata is proud of the person he managed to become, really. He knows he is now someone who has the trust of so many people, that if he is crumbling under the responsibilities it’s also because they think he is able to deal with those. He has amazing friends who don’t care if he was a talentless reserve course student that was desperate enough to become a test subject for Hope’s Peak Academy. He knows that, in the past, he would have answered this biting remark with some childish comment but now…

“Well” he replies “You have a chocolate moustache”.

For a few seconds, Monaca seems so offended that he wonders if the words he pronounced weren’t truly insulting, but she ends up by sinking even more in the couch, mumbling unintelligible sentences that Hinata doesn’t try too hard to understand - it’s probably nothing nice. Sonia gently pats her back and looks at Hinata.

“Komaeda is in the kitchen, if he is the one you are looking for”.

He isn’t, but then Hinata can’t let Komaeda alone in the kitchen - he is actually pretty surprised that Sonia is so calm considering what happened last time - so he thanks the princess and goes find his friend-almost-boyfriend-but-mostly-in-Hinata-’s-head-it-’s-complicated.

Fortunately, he finds the white-haired boy struggling with the settings of the microwave, which isn’t as bad as the oven or - god spares them - the stove. When he hears Hinata enters, he gives him his usual smile, the one that is only Komaeda’s, half-happy, half-sorry, and it’s all he needs to forget that he has just been insulted by a grumpy teenager with green hair. Komaeda looks happy, in a very discreet way, just a sparkle in his eyes.

“Hey.” Hinata says, moving closer to Komaeda before leaning against the counter.

Is it a flirty position ? Maybe, he realizes, standing a little straighter.

“Good afternoon, Hinata” Komaeda replies. “How was the meeting ?”

“Boring, mostly ? I’m glad it’s over.” Hinata says. “By the way, do you have any idea why Sonia and a girl that I’ve never seen here are watching Keeping up with the Kardashians in the lobby ?”

“Are they still watching that ?” Komaeda hums. “I didn’t think Monaca would be interested in this show”.

She isn’t, he thinks, but that’s not the problem at hands, here.

“No” Hinata tries again “I was wondering how did this girl suddenly appeared in the lobby ? Do you know her ?”

“Oh !” Komaeda claps his hands. “Of course ! Her rocket fell down a little earlier while I was walking on the beach. I thought you might have heard the sound - it was pretty loud. But I guess you were on the second island for the meeting, right ?”

_A rocket_ ? Hinata thinks. It isn’t the first time he thinks he and Komaeda doesn’t belong in the same reality but… at the same moment he opens his mouth to say something - anything - about this story, a roaring scream hits them like a wave.

“BIG BRO KOMAEDA, WHERE IS THE POPCORN I ASKED FOR ?”

The white haired boy giggles a little, and shakes his head a little before putting a bag of popcorn into the microwave, whether because he is satisfied with the current setting or that he just trusts his luck on this one, Hinata isn’t sure.

“Big bro Komaeda ?” He asks, eyebrows raised. “Is she… ?”

He stops talking. That’s not really a conversation they had yet, the whole ‘hey, I know your family died when you were in kid in a plane crash, but I probably murdered mine while I was an emotionless machine, so maybe we can bond around this ?’. So ‘family’ isn’t supposed to be a topic.

“She isn’t my sister” Komaeda says, but he is smiling again. “I just took care of her after everything that happened in Towa, and she picked up the nickname. I think that since I was too young to be her father and she was too young to be my girlfriend, it was the perfect cover-up as to why we lived together ?”

“Oh.” Hinata says. “You took… care of her ?”

Komaeda runs his fingers through his hair in a nervous gesture that Hinata is learning to love.

“Yes, I do realize no one would ever trust me with a child but the circumstances were…”

“No.” Hinata cuts him off. “No, that’s… wow. I’m just saying, that’s great. You’re great. Okay I’m going to shut up now.”

They don’t say anything for a few seconds, and the room would be perfectly silent if not for the noise coming from the microwave where the popcorn is slowly being popped, and the faint voices coming from the lobby. Komaeda looks at the floor, cheeks a little pink after a praise that he probably thinks he doesn’t deserve, and Hinata wants to hit his head against the table.

“You…” He starts. “You shouldn’t let her boss you around like that.”

Komaeda shrugs. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m not sure she knows how to act with me differently. It’s still nice to have her around.”

“She can’t stay, you know that, right ?” Hinata says.

It’s a little harsh, because even though Monaca seems like a fourteen-years-old demon to him, Komaeda seems happy. And in a weird way, he can understand that. But Komaeda nods, his smile not as broad but still there.

“I sent a message to Naegi” He says. “His sister and Fukawa will be there tomorrow to pick her up. I didn’t tell her yet, though.”

“Oh. Okay, then.”

The microwave beeps, and Komaeda gets the bag, while a delicious smell of caramel spreads into the room. Hinata slides closer to Komaeda until he knows the other boy isn’t able to focus on something else beside his proximity and says :

“Mind if I join you ? I never watched this show, though, I hope I won’t be lost.” He adds, amused by the way Komaeda is holding back his breath, taken away by his move.

“No, I mean, yes, you can join us ?” He replies. “If you have nothing better to do, of course.”

“Komaeda.” Hinata says. “Close your eyes.”

The boy blinks a few times before doing what Hinata says. He closes his eyes, and stays perfectly immobile, so immobile that it’s hard to say if he expects a kiss or a punch.

“It’s okay, you can open them.” He informs Komaeda.

He does, and the first thing he sees is Hinata putting a bunch of still-hot popcorn into his mouth. He must make a face, for Hinata starts to laugh.

“Thanks for giving me some, it’s amazing.” He holds his hand for Komaeda to take it. “Let’s go spend some time with your Fake-Little-Sister ?”


	18. World Destroyer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, family fic - Prompt 'Evil!AU' - the sweetest way to do this prompt, really.

“Grrrr” Hinata roared in the most threatening way possible, smiling when he saw the girl he was chasing run away from him. “I’ll destroy everything !”

He kicked a pile of pillows and sent them fly against the wall, making the little girl shriek in fear and delight. Bravely, she eventually stood in front of him

“I’ll stop you, you evil monster ! You aren’t allowed to destroy everything ! I’ll be a hero and I’ll save everyone !”

She grabbed her dolls, plunging between the pillows to save them, and clutching them against her chest.

“All resistance is futile” Hinata replied, cornering the girl between the couch and the coffee table. “No one can stand against me !”

And at the moment where it seemed that all hope was lost, they both heard noises coming from the front door.

“Dad is back !” screamed the girl, sliding her frail body between Hinata’s legs in her way to the hall.

She didn’t slow down, threw herself at a surprised white-haired boy, and hugged his waist while mumbling against the fabric of his pants some unintelligible words.

“Good evening, Sachiko » Nagito Komaeda said, taking his daughter in his arms. “What’s happening ?”

“Dad is an evil monster who wants to destroy the world !” she replied seriously.

Komaeda laughed

“Oh, yes, he does that sometimes, I should have told you. » He put his daughter on the floor and held out his hand for her to take it. « It’s okay, I know his secret weakness, I can stop him !”

Sachiko opened wide, suspicious eyes.

“Can you ?”

“Of course !” Komaeda replied. “I can’t do it without you, though ! Will you help me ?”

The little girl nodded decisively, holding her puppets even closer.

They both entered the living room, where Hinata was peacefully laying on top of the mess of pillows he had created earlier. He raised his head when he saw his husband and his daughter.

“Who comes here ? Brave adventurers, who want to defeat me ?” he said, playfully throwing a pillow at them.

“Ready, Sachiko ?” Komaeda said. “One, two…”

“THREE !” screamed the child, jumping on Hinata before he got the time to stand up.

She made a ‘pouf’ when she landed on her dad’s chest who tried to not grimaced in pain, but this slight uncomfortable feeling was replaced by so, so much worse when Sachiko put Komaeda’s plan in action and started to tickle him with her little fingers, until he was squirming on the floor.

“No… no, stop that Sachiko !” he said between two fits of laughter. “Such… evil plan…”

“Well, I’m your daughter after all” the girl replied before sticking her tongue at him, his fingers still moving against his ribs.

“Don’t forget the kisses, Sachiko !” Komaeda told her. “Nothing defeats evil better than kisses !”

Laughing, Sachiko started to pepper Hinata’s face with sloppy kisses, until Hinata had no choice but to admit defeat.

“It’s okay, I’m not evil anymore ! Your tickling and kissing spells saved me !” he gasped.

After a few seconds, she stopped her torture, offering him a toothy grin.

“Good ! I like you better when you’re nice !”

Very satisfied with herself, she started to rebuild her city of pillows. Hinata watched her for a moment before turning his head toward Komaeda, who seemed way too happy for someone who had just manipulated a five-years old girl into attacking her father.

“Nothing defeats evil better than kisses ?” He mocked. “Why, Nagito, we’ll make a sap out of you.”

Komaeda moved closer and pecked Hinata’s lips.

“Well, she is only five. I’m waiting one more year before telling him everything. Let’s stick with tickles and kisses for now, alright ?”

Hinata hummed.

“Sound good to me.”


	19. Closing and opening doors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, pre-relationship : 'Pinning the other against a wall'

_I don’t remember if I could see the stars before_ , thinks Hinata, lying on the rooftop of the Future Foundation’s building. It’s nighttime, and he picked up the habit to come here from time to time, to enjoy something else beside the oppressing atmosphere inside the building. Especially one these days where it’s just nice to remember that there is an outside.

Something to fight for.

He is starting to feel a little cold : it’s only spring, and he is wearing short sleeves. He sits up, heavy and tired, his body begging for a little more time away from any kind of supervision, whether it’s surveillance cameras or Munakata breathing behind his neck, and…

“Hinata ? What are you doing there ?”

He turns his head toward the door to see Komaeda emerge from behind the door leading to the stairwell, all pale and gangly, blinking a couple of times, as if being outside, even after sunset, is too bright for his eyes, now. The boy looks up, smiling at the sky.

“Oh ! I see ! Do you feel poetic up there, Hinata ? Maybe it’s one of your talent, too ? Beauty in the middle of apocalypse ?” His tone is teasing enough that Hinata can’t deny it without looking like a fool, but not light enough that it doesn’t burn Hinata’s skin.

It’s been ten seconds since Komaeda appeared, and suddenly the peace he had found just vanished. He gets up, the cold of the night starting to bite his skin where it isn’t covered. Seeing that, Komaeda’s eyes widen.

“No, Hinata, don’t go because of me. I was just curious to see the door open, since no one is allowed here usually… I’m not staying I promise you can…” He starts babbling, already rushing toward the door.

“It’s fine” Hinata replies with a shrug. “Do what you want, I’m cold, I wanted to go back to my room any… Komaeda ? What are you doing ?”

The white-haired boy is frozen in front of the open door, his head tilted toward the stairs. Curious, Hinata moves closer, until he is able to feel Komaeda’s body heat - it’s nice, especially since he realizes that he is really cold. For a few seconds he stays still, wondering what game Komaeda is playing, and then, he hears them.

Footsteps.

Shit.

They aren’t supposed to be here.

Komaeda moves first and moves fast, and in one second he has Hinata pinned against the door, face pressed against the metallic surface, and the other boy is killing him.

“What the hell are you doing ?” He manages to groan.

“We need to convince him that the door is locked” Komaeda whispers back to him. “Help me to keep it still, will you Hinata ?”

He nods, putting all his weight and all his strength in this task, hoping that whoever is coming isn’t Sakakura because they wouldn’t stand a chance, and they keep pushing and pushing and pushing until they are both sweaty and breathless, and Komaeda suddenly crumbles in a shaky mess.

It’s been a few minutes, now, so Hinata should know that whoever was behind the door probably isn’t here anymore, but he still expects them to get busted at the second where he stops pushing. He kneels on Komaeda’s side, who is catching his breath.

“Hey” He says “Are you okay ?”

Komaeda nods, but Hinata isn’t sure how much he believes him, considering that the other boy’s face seems ready to explode, and he can hear his frenetic heartbeat. In some… twisted way, it reminds Hinata of the Despair Disease.

Not like he is going to talk about it now.

“And uh… thanks” he adds, quickly. “It was quick thinking. I’m not sure how close we were to get caught but… I guess I was lucky you were here ?” He smiles, running a nervous hand through his hand.

Komaeda lets out a broken laugh - he looks hysterical.

“Lucky ? Haha, Hinata, come on. Without me, no one would have come to check on the roof. Don’t you understand by now how my luck works ? I shouldn’t have pried…” He shudders. “All I could do was to make my best to not have you pay for my mistakes.”

Komaeda’s arms are still shaking from the effort he just pulled. His whole body is so light and fragile, Hinata thinks he could break it in two with his fingers, sometimes.

It doesn’t make him happy.

They are both fucked up, and that’s not even enough for them to understand the other. He sighs.

“Lie down” he says. “You look like you are about to have a heart attack or something. Maybe you can be the poetic one this time, and write me a poem if you want me to forgive you for this imaginary fault ? ”

Komaeda replies with a smile, small and uncertain, but more honest than usual, and just like that, the burn from when he arrived on the roof disappear into thin air. His shaking gets a little less violent, and even if he doesn’t lie down, he still accepts to lean his head against Hinata’s shoulder, and even if feeling Komaeda’s breath against his neck, and the spasms that shake his entire body is a little embarrassing, he isn’t cold anymore. And he can still look at the stars and pretends like nothing is happening.

That doesn’t have to be as hard as they make it to be, really.


	20. Curse(d)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon. 'Forbidden relationship'

Hinata didn’t see himself as an impatient man. Yet, it had been four months since he managed to bring back Komaeda from the Program, four months where Komaeda’s feelings for him were obvious to anyone who spend five minutes talking to him, where he and Hinata often exchanged knowing glances, where they walked just a _tad_ too close to each other, pretending not to notice when the back of their hand grazed the other’s. And four months without Komaeda showing any sign of a confession.

“My suggestion would be for you to man up and asking him yourself, you know that ?” Koizumi replied, half-listening to Hinata, half-focused on her crosswords. “The guy has less self-esteem than a rock.”

“Yes, well” Hinata replied. “I could do that. But the point is that he should be the one making the first step, you know ? I can’t just make everything easier for him all the time !”

Koizumi frowned, but Hinata suspected that it was more because of a mistake in her crosswords than because of his answer. After a few seconds, she came back to their discussion.

“You either make your move, or you wait for his, but complaining that he isn’t fast enough isn’t going to change anything, you know ?” She sighed.

“… I know” Hinata said begrudgingly. “But I don’t want to wait until I’m fifty to make out with him while everyone around us hook up, okay.”

The red-haired girl threw him such _offended_ look that he immediately understood that the conversation was over, and well, maybe he deserved that.

And maybe her advice wasn’t entirely bad. He could admit it as long as he actually didn’t have to admit it _to her face_. But Komaeda had done a lot of progress. He didn’t trash-talk himself all the time, and even if he would always be a solitary person, he could be seen here and there, talking to other people. Not just Hinata, but Sonia or Mikan, or even Gundham. Hinata was happy about it, he just didn’t understand why Komaeda had never brought up the possibility of a romantic relationship between them. He would get rolled over by a truck for him, but confessing ? Didn’t seem like it was coming.

Which is why Hinata decided to take Komaeda to the beach the same afternoon. It was Komaeda’s favorite place on the island, and they wouldn’t be bothered. Komaeda smiled when he noticed the blanket and the cushions Hinata had installed earlier.

“I love this place” He said. “Thanks for taking me here today.”

The first hour was as great as it could have been. They talked for a while, watched the clouds and invented so many stories that at the end they couldn’t even distinguish the lies from the truths - and in the world they lived now, it didn’t matter that much.

And then Hinata destroyed everything.

“Hey, Komaeda” He said. “Why didn’t you ask me out ?”

Komaeda’s smile vanished so fast that Hinata immediately felt guilty for bringing that up.

“Asking you out ?…” He repeated. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Right. Hinata tried very hard to not sound like an asshole, but he didn’t want to dance around the matter for too long.

“You like me, right ?” He said, and Komaeda became even paler than usual. “And it’s okay ! It’s more than okay ! I happen to like you too, I was just… wondering. You know… I was waiting for you to confess” 

Well, that was awkward. He ran a nervous hand through his hair.

“Huh, sorry. I guess Koizumi is right and I should have manned up sooner ?”

Komaeda didn’t answer. Instead he did _that_ pose where his eyes are hidden behind his hair, and Hinata can’t see at all what he is thinking about. That wasn’t exactly what Hinata had expected.

“Komaeda ?” He called.

“Can you…” The other croaked out, and Hinata realized with horror that Komaeda was about to _cry_. “Can you take that back ?”. A silence. “No, ah… I guess it’s impossible now.”

Well, that was a sure blow to his ego, but Hinata managed to ignore his broken heart for a second because Komaeda had started to shake so hard that Hinata was worried he was going to fall apart.

“Uh, listen. It’s okay ? I misunderstood. I thought you liked me too, shit.”

He put a hand of Komaeda’s fragile shoulder but the other boy jerked away from his touch, with enough strength to fall on his back, on the sand. He quickly sat up and looked at Hinata with wide, terrified eyes.

“ _What are you doing_.” Komaeda hissed. “ _What are you doing_ , Hinata, _I told you about my luck, you know what’s going to happen_.” He started to shake again. “It’s probably too late… so much luck…” he mumbled “I never… I never felt…”

He stopped talking, but almost seemed to go in shock.

“Your luck ? Are you serious ?” Hinata said, trying to not sound too angry. “Oh my god, I don’t give a shit about your luck !”

Komaeda looked like Hinata had just slapped him and moved even farther away.

“You don’t understand” He said. “You don’t understand.”

Hinata didn’t. What he understood, though, was that Komaeda wasn’t getting any better. All these months, where he pretended to heal with everyone else, where he had slowly started to eat more, and smile more, and talk more… all that… was that nothing ?

“Didn’t you get it that we are allowed a second chance, here ?” Hinata said. “What was the point of everything we’ve been through if you don’t reach for the future ?”

“A second chance ?” Komaeda said. “What are you talking about ? I never had a chance to begin with. Ever since the moment I was born. My luck brought me back, but that doesn’t mean I’m allowed to forget about it. Actually, it’s because it brought me back that I need to be cautious. What you just told me… that you liked me… do you understand how happy that makes me ?”

“That’s not as obvious as you think it is.” Hinata replied, bitter. “So what ? You’re going to love me, I’m going to love you, but we are never going to be together because you are a coward ? How fucking stupid is that ?”

Komaeda offered him a miserable smile.

“Maybe your anger against me will free you from your feelings ?”

“I wish. That’s not how that works and you know it. And I’m angry at myself for having my hopes up” He mumbled.

Komaeda relaxed a little and moved closer, sitting on the blanket once again.

“What a terrible idea” he laughed. “Putting your hope on me, really ? I don’t deserve you hope, Hinata. I’m cursed.”

Hinata sighed, tired.

“At this point I think we both are, Komaeda.”


	21. Late Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU - Vampire/Werewolf. Some meetings only happen when it's too late.

Hinata didn’t know what to do. Standing over the sleeping, pale face of a vampire, he wondered if he would ever get another chance to observe one of those like that.

The creature wasn’t moving at all - not even a sign of breathing - but Hinata knew he wasn’t dead : dead vampire decomposed fast, under one hour, and he has been looking at this one for almost two. From afar, first, hidden behind a bush that would hide his smell and then curiosity had gotten the best of him and he had moved closer, knowing that if the vampire was just pretending to be asleep, he was dead : it wasn’t the full moon, yet. He could technically turn, but depending on the vampire’s strength, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

Slowly, almost as hypnotized by the peaceful sight, he kneeled next to the body, taking in the other’s perfect traits, vaguely wondering what could be so appealing about what was basically a cadaver.

“What are you doing here ?” He mumbled, to himself of course.

Vampires weren’t technically allowed to come here. They still _did_ , of course, from time to time, which annoyed Hinata’s clan a lot, but there was a difference between passing through their territory and _falling asleep_ in the middle of a forbidden land.

Almost on their own accord, Hinata’s hands had started to move along the other’s face, grazing the cold skin and the white lashes, running his fingers through his hair - _were they the same color when he was human, too ?_ He didn’t know anything about vampires. He was curious, because who wouldn’t be, but he wasn’t the kind of teenager who played with fire and came along some other reckless boys to try and hunt a vampire. He was supposed to be careful. He had common sense.

_Then what was he doing ?_

It’s just… the boy was so beautiful. It was beyond finding someone attractive, it was more like looking at a masterpiece in a museum, knowing that the artist behind the painting had bled and cried, and died for this. He was breath-taking. The moon wasn’t full, but almost, and the way it shone upon the boy’s face was mesmerizing. Hinata briefly wondered what he would look like under the sun, before realizing that it was stupid : sunlight killed vampires as surely as a shot through the head with a silver ball would kill him.

And yet…

_The sun was about to come up._

As soon as he thought about it, he started to feel anxious. It was true : in a few minutes, the sun would start to spread its light, and there was nowhere to hide. A tree wouldn’t be enough. Vampires needed caves, or tinted windows, or they would die.

“Shit” Hinata said. “What do I do ?”

No one answered. He shook the boy, but nothing happened, and Hinata wondered what was going on with him. Was it normal ? He really didn’t know anything, did he ? He still knew that there was no way he was going to watch someone burn in front of him. Human or Vampire. Beautiful or not.

He had no time, so he decided to turn. It was painful, as always when he turned when it wasn’t full moon, but this form gave him an incredible strength. He bit the vampire’s shirt and started to pull him toward the nearest shelter : an old shack. Not the best choice, he thought, but better for the boy to be stuck in there until nightfall than to burn in a comfy cave.

_Alright, here we are_ , he thought after dragging the - ridiculously heavy for how frail he looked - body until he was protected of the sunlight, making sure that no matter the time of the day, this spot would always be surrounded by darkness.

He let go of the boy’s shirt, giddy with the idea that _he had helped a vampire, and he really couldn’t tell anyone about it_ and was ready to throw him a last look before running away, when…

…. he noticed that the vampire’s eyes were open.

He _yelped_ and jumped at the other side of the room, his muscles tense and ready to spring into action if needed.

The vampire though, didn’t seem interested in attacking him. He blinked a few times, looking around him with interest before tilting his head toward Hinata. Despite his obvious curiosity, he didn’t say a word. Relaxing slightly with how non-threatening the other’s behaviour was, Hinata turned back into a human form.

“Uh” he said. “Hi ?”

The boy raised his eyebrows so high they disappeared behind his crazy hair.

“Hi ?” He replied, and Hinata wasn’t sure if was just parroting him or if he was genuinely greeting him.

“Listen” He said “I found you sleeping in the middle of a glade and hum… it’s in our territory ? Not that it’s that important, I mean, for me, if you asked the clan’s leader they would say you shouldn’t do it, but anyway, the sun was about to come up and I thought that you would _die_ because you’re a vampire, you know ? And…”

While rambling like a madman, he desperately waved his hands in the direction of the nearest window, where the night had started to turn blue, announcing that the day would soon replace it. The vampire didn’t seem to pay attention to his nonsenses, too busy looking at his own body, confused.

“So, I’m not dead ?” He asked.

Well, that was a difficult question. Hinata wondered during a terrible second if the vampire was a newborn, someone who had just been turned and still thought he was human, which would explain why he had fallen asleep where he had, and why he wasn’t scared of the sun. He wanted to run again : he definitely couldn’t help this boy into embracing his existence as blood-thirsty creature.

“Well, it’s hard to say ?” Hinata replied. “I’m not sure how to say that to you…” and then, deciding to start by the beginning, he said : “do you know what vampires are ?”

The vampire offered him a flat look in return.

“Yes, I happen to know the concept, thank you.”

His voice was dripping with sarcasm, which made Hinata’s blood boil. _This is why we don’t like vampires. They don’t know how to say ‘thank you’ when one saves their frozen skin_. The white-haired boy sighed.

“I was constating that I was still alive despite my best efforts. I suppose you are the one who brought me here ?” He asked Hinata.

“I don’t see another person here, now, do I ? I guess you were lucky. You would be dead by now if I hadn’t been here. Or… “ He blushed a little at that “I mean, anyone from my clan wouldn’t have helped you, you know ? Some would have probably killed you before the sun gets a chance.”

The boy smiled at his words, and Hinata thought that it was so unfair, and that trading your soul against eternal damnation shouldn’t make you that attractive. At that moment, his eyes met Hinata’s, and his smile widened some more.

“Lucky, hm ? Well, that’s a way to see things.” He replied, a lot more politely this time, before extending his hand for Hinata to take it. “I’m Nagito Komaeda. Thanks for saving my life, it seems it was destiny.”

After a few seconds of hesitation, Hinata took it, shivering at the coldness of the skin, and maybe at something else too.

“Hajime Hinata” he introduced himself.

“Well, Hinata, I have to say that this kind of good action is wasted on me” Komaeda laughed, still holding his hand. “Nevertheless, I’m grateful that we had the opportunity to met. I’ve never seen a werewolf before. You are a lot nicer than the rumors say.”

“Uh, I guess. Can you let me go ?”

After another fit of laughter, Komaeda let go of his hand, and went to sit by the wall, waiting for the time to pass, as immobile as a statue. It was somehow fascinating.

“Komaeda ?” He called, and the vampire turned his head toward him.

“Do you want something ?”

“I just thought… maybe we could see each other again ?” He coughed out the last part, hoping he wouldn’t have to repeat himself.

He realized how ambiguous the words could sound to the other, and he almost added a lame ‘it’s not a date, don’t worry’, but Komaeda was really, really pretty. And very, very interesting, too. And if he wanted to make it ambiguous too, Hinata wasn’t about to close the door. Komaeda tapped two of his fingers on his lips, pressing in such way that Hinata could see the tips of his fangs. For some reason, he thought it was cute.

“Ah… I’m not sure. I was planning to successfully kill myself, tomorrow. I do realize I can’t stop you if you want to stop me again, though.”

Hinata choked on his saliva at that. _Kill yourself ?_ He thought. Oh. _Oh. What ?_ How could he say something like that so calmly ?

Komaeda was clearly delighted by Hinata’s reaction.

“Are you surprised ?”

“Yeah !” Hinata replied, a little too loud. “Why would you say that ? Why… why would you want to die ?”

“You mean why I would want to stop my immortal existence as a damned creature who can only survive as a parasite to others ?” He laughed. “ _I wonder_.”

“I…”

Hinata shut his mouth at that. It was something his dad had told him, a long time ago. _Better be dead than a vampire. They don’t belong. We are living, breathing people. Werewolves, witches… these are magical creatures that thrive amongst the population. Vampires, in the other hand, did their time. They wander through the world, goal-less, waiting for their hour to come, but it never does. A part of me pities them._

He didn’t know Komaeda. It wasn’t his decision to make, was it ? He bit his lips.

“For all it’s worth, Hajime Hinata” Komaeda said, smiling brightly. “I’m glad I’ve got to meet you today. You seem like a very good person, and I’m honored that our paths crossed, even in these circumstances.”

“I’m not… that good” Hinata admitted. “The only reason I approached you is because I was curious. And the reason I don’t want you to die is because I’m still curious. It’s very selfish.”

“It is” the other nodded. “You can stay for a little while if you want, it would be an honor to fulfill this curiosity. And it’s not like I have anything better to do. I’m a coward, I can’t gather enough courage to just walk out this cabin right now, so I’m doomed to exist until tomorrow morning.”

Hinata looked at the vampire, so many words just begging to come out, so many stupid things that didn’t mean anything. _Don’t die, it’s destiny that I met you, it’s a sign, we’ve met in another life, our souls are forever intertwined forever, let’s run away, let’s discover the world, let’s just be together and not care about anything else_. Hinata didn’t know Komaeda, but this meeting seemed so important in his meaningless existence that he was terrified at the idea that it wouldn’t lead to anything. He wouldn’t talk about it to anyone, and he wouldn’t do anything with the memory of this meeting. It wouldn’t change him in anyway. Him having been there, saving Komaeda’s life, wouldn’t have any impact in the grand scheme of things.

He wanted to build his entire life around this night.

But Hinata had common sense. He wasn’t the kind to cling to romance and foolish dreams, and even if he had been, it was too late. So he politely bowed.

“I have to go back to my clan. They are going to be worried.”

He wanted to say something more, but before he knew it, Komaeda’s smile had faltered, and Hinata was running away from the shack, barely avoiding the trees on his way, trying to put as much distance between him and the vampire before he allows himself to break down.

_In another time,_ he thought _, in another place, this would have mattered, right ?_


	22. Pas de deux

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vague AU - Taking a ballroom dance class together

“You are pretty bad at dancing Hinata, aren’t you ?” Komaeda said while avoiding at the last second Hinata’s foot from crushing his.

Hinata stopped looking at the floor and glared at his boyfriend.

“ _I_ am bad ?” he said. “I’m sorry, but your performance isn’t exactly praise-worthy either.”

Komaeda laughed. Oh, how fragile Hinata’s ego could be.

“I’m horrendous” he replied with a bright smile. “I was just surprised that you wouldn’t use one of your many talents. Didn’t any ‘Ultimate Ballroom Dancer” studied between Hope’s Peak walls ?”

Hinata shrugged, and his lack of concentration made him trip on his own shoe. Komaeda managed to grip his shoulder tightly enough to not have him go through the humiliation of collapsing in the middle of the room, where every other pairs were trying their luck at waltz, too.

“How should I know.” He replied. “You were the one obsessed with this school, after all. But even if Kamukura does have this talent, I’m not using it. All I want is walk on my boyfriend’s foot a hundred times, and stumble awkwardly around the room like everyone else. And I want to joke about it afterward. Is that so hard to ask ?”

Komaeda laughed again.

“That seems very reasonable, Hinata. Let’s be fools, alright ?”

It was easier said than done, but after a few more reprimands by the teacher, and a correction in their position, they managed to follow the beat of the song more easily. Hinata was better at leading than following, it seemed, and toward the end of the class, they stopped switching the roles, which was a welcome respite for their feet.

“You’re getting better” Komaeda noticed proudly.

“So are you” Hinata replied.

They were. The idea to take this ballroom dance class before Sonia’s party in Europe had come from nowhere, but it wasn’t the worst way to spend their Saturday afternoon.

“Last movement !” The teacher announced. “And then this is the end.”

Taken by a sudden flash of inspiration, Hinata stopped dancing, pulling Komaeda against him before taking a step forward and bending his waist, making sure that his hands held the other’s back as much as possible. He saw Komaeda’s eyes widen while he was ‘falling’ backward, one leg still firmly planted on the floor, the other wrapped around Hinata’s waist to try and stop himself from hitting the ground.

Hinata stopped them low enough to make it a little risky, and waited until Komaeda manage to blink his shock away. Laughing, the white-haired boy muttered quietly :

“Show off.”

Hinata stood up straight and put back the other on his two feet, but kept his arms around Komaeda - he was still shaking, though that seemed to be the good kind of shaking.

“Maybe a little” Hinata admitted.


	23. In vino veritas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon. Prompt : "I might have had a few shots"

It was almost 3AM when Kazuichi suddenly appeared before Komaeda, dragging behind him a dizzy-looking Hinata.

“Hey, my friend” The mechanic said to him with the biggest smile on his face.

Komaeda blinked at that, because he couldn’t remember one time where Kazuichi had called him ‘friend’ before - a whole lot of other names, sure, but not ‘friend’. He was sure of that. He would have remembered. He didn’t say anything about that, though, peeking curiously at Hinata who was waving at him behind his best friend’s shoulder.

“Good night Kazuichi, Hinata. Though I guess ‘Good Morning’ would be more appropriate, right ?” He said.

It wasn’t the right thing to say, for Kazuichi’s face showed a brief flash of annoyance. Well, he was bad at that anyway. There was a reason he has been alone most of the night, right ? Not that he complained - what right did he have to complain ? Just being here was…

“Anyway” Kazuichi cut off his train of thoughts. “Sorry to thrust that upon you, but Hinata has not been holding up his alcohol at all, so I thought you could make sure he goes back to his cabin safely ?”

Komaeda tensed at that. That… sounded like a bad idea. Not that he didn’t want to help Hinata, but he had made clear on multiple occasions that he didn’t want Komaeda’s help. His voice had a definitive tone when he had said that.

He hadn’t asked why. Maybe he didn’t want to know. Maybe he already knew, anyway.

“I’m not sure” he replied cautiously. “Wouldn’t that be better if it was someone he trusted ? Like you ?”

“I mean… yes ? But I’m pretty sure Miss Sonia is into me tonight, and I don’t want to lose this chance, you get me ?” the other replied.

Not really. He tilted his head on the side.

“Are you sure about that ? I’ve been there all night watching the party, and Sonia doesn’t seem more interested in you than usual, which is not at all. Though your display of hope in the matter is inspiring, I have to say !”

Kazuichi looked like he had just been punched.

“Not cool. Damn, and you wonder why everyone thinks you’re a creep.” He mumbled. “I can’t leave, deal with it, you are sober and you are bored enough that you don’t care about leaving early, right ? Don’t be a jackass, just help him not fall flat on his face or something.”

“I’m not drunk !” Hinata suddenly butted in the conversation.

He pushed Kazuichi away, and took a few tentatives steps before tripping on his own feet. Komaeda and Kazuichi both managed to stabilize him.

“Okay” The clearly-drunk boy acknowledged, his smiling face too close of the white haired boy’s for his own comfort. “I might have had a few shots”

“You don’t say” Kazuichi rolled his eyes. “Anyway, be nice, follow Komaeda and try to sleep that off, alright ?”

“Ah, Kazuichi, I’m not sure…” he started, but stopped when he noticed that the mechanic has already gone back to the party.

He was still holding Hinata, who had taken an interest in his hair.

“It’s so pretty” he whispered, and started patting it without gentleness.

Komaeda felt something painful and cold in his stomach.

“Please, Hinata, don’t touch my hair. Let’s just go.”

The other boy hummed but followed Komaeda without putting too much of a fight.

“You’re so nice” said Hinata, to no one in particular. “I really like you, you know.”

He giggled a little, and Komaeda wished he could cover his ears, but his hands were full of Hinata. He smiled, in spite of how he was feeling.

“How cruel,” he noticed “You’re saying all these things and you won’t remember them tomorrow, right ? But I will. And hope is wasted on me. Please don’t say anything more, Hinata.”

They were at Hinata’s cottage, and Komaeda didn’t have any trouble finding the other’s key in the first pocket he looked in - his luck wasn’t letting him down, that was always good to know, and he deserved it, after being the one chosen by Kazuichi to help Hinata. The whole time, Hinata was silent, and Komaeda didn’t know if it was because he had listened to him or if it was a coïncidence.

“Here you go” he said, gently pushing Hinata toward the door opening. “Go in, I’ll close the door from the outside and wait a little before sliding the key under the door. This way you won’t think I kept it, okay ?”

Hinata was still out of it, and Komaeda would be he hadn’t understand a word of what he had just said, but he still nodded. Before entering his cabin, he looked at Komaeda seriously.

“Hey, can you tell me who you are ? I promise I won’t forget if that makes you upset…”

Taken aback, Komaeda didn’t know what to reply to that, but Hinata wasn’t moving an inch, waiting for his answer.

“It doesn’t matter.” He licked his lips nervously. “Just a friend ?”

It was a lie, and he really hoped Hinata wouldn’t remember anything the day after - he probably wouldn’t, seeing how far he was gone. The other’s eyes blurred a little.

“Friends… help each others ?” He said, and it sounded like a question.

Komaeda nodded.

“Yes. You are lucky you have a lot of friend, Hinata. Go to sleep, now.”

He waited a long time in front of Hinata’s door, then when he was sure he couldn’t hear anything on the other side, he slid the key under the door.


	24. Recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Established relationship - post-canon. If you manage to laugh at the past, then it's a good sign, right ?

Hinata was slowly falling asleep, head against Komaeda’s shoulder, eyes fixed on the screen where a boring action movie (that he had chosen himself)  was playing, the taste of popcorn on his lips, when his boyfriend shook his shoulder to wake him up.

“It’s time for the meeting, Hinata” he said with a smile. “As breath-taking this movie was, we can’t make Naegi and the others wait, right ?”

Hinata groaned, and buried his head in the couch’s armrest near him, making sure to put the bowl full of popcorn on the table first, though.

“It’s going to take ages” he complained - quite immaturely, but his missed-nap has made him a little more grumpy than usual. “It’s going to be boring as hell. It’s going to be Munakata talking for four hours about how we should lower everyone’s rice ration by five percents or something”.

Komaeda laughed good-naturally.

“What do you mean ? It’s exciting ! It’s such honor to be invited to this meeting ! We are helping the world to go in the right direction, Hinata ! What could be more interesting ?”

Hinata sighed but didn’t move an inch - and no, he had no plan to ditch, of course he was going to go, but Komaeda wouldn’t make him happy to go.

“Sometimes I really wish I could see the world like you” he mumbled against the armrest “That sounds nice.”

There was a short silence, before Komaeda start to laugh again, though Hinata could hear some strain in it.

“No, you really don’t wish that” he said.

Hinata turned around, looking at the white-haired boy who was avoiding his eyes.

“Sorry” Hinata said, taking the other’s hand. “That was shitty. I’m glad you’re happy that you feel useful and all that. I’m commiserating like a selfish asshole. I guess I still enjoy being who I am and where I am. See ? Lesson learned.”

Komaeda bit his lips in an unreadable expression that put Hinata on edge before his boyfriend  burst into laughter.

“Nice to know that this is still working Hinata. But I’m glad I could be useful to make you see your own worth.” He managed to say, his lips spread wide by a malicious smile.

“Ugh, you !” Hinata reached for the bowl on the table and threw a popcorn at his boyfriend who raised an eyebrow before eating it. “You’re the worst.”

Komaeda took a melancholic pose.

“Yes, I’ve been told that many times. Really it’s no surprise people have been avoiding me since I was a child and…”

Another popcorn.

“It’s not working anymore !”

They ended up being late for the meeting, and when Munakata glared at them asking what they were doing, Komaeda blamed everything on Hinata. They had to clean up the room after he threw the entire bowl of popcorn at the other’s face, after all.


	25. Inside the shell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pre-relationship, Hope's Peak AU. Hinata visits Komaeda's house for the first time.

“Welcome to my home, Hinata !” Komaeda said, opening the door.

The white-haired boy was doing his best to pretend that it wasn’t a big deal but Hinata could see the other’s flushed cheeks and shaking hands. He smiled, wondering why he was so anxious about this : Hinata wasn’t rude. He wasn’t about to criticize the paintings on the wall or the mess in the kitchen.

“Thanks” He replied, taking his first step in the building. “That’s really…”

He was about to say ‘nice’ or whatever word someone who comments on someone else’s house uses when they want to be friendly, but the word died in his throat.

_Lonely_.

Hinata blinked in front of the empty, huge room in front of him. On one corner of the room, he could see the open kitchen, with one chair only, and one set of cutlery already in place on top of the table. A huge, intimidating fridge, too, that Hinata guessed almost entirely empty - Komaeda didn’t cook, he knew that.

On the other corner, a television screen that could have been a theater one, with a white, immaculate couch in front of it. With one pillow on it.

There was no pictures on the wall, nowhere. Hinata didn’t know if he was surprised that Komaeda didn’t have pictures of his parents around, but he had at least expected a few decorative objects here and there.

“… clean.” He finished his sentence.

Komaeda beamed at him in the most heartbreaking way.

“Haha, thanks ! Really, cleaning is all I’m good for, but I’m glad I’m not forcing you to stay in a dirty place, Hinata.” His smile faltered a little. “Not that you have to stay long or anything. There is not a lot of fun things in here.”

Yeah, Hinata could have guessed that. He shrugged.

“It’s nice” he said, trying his best to mean it. “I’ll stay for now, if that’s okay.”


	26. Through my eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon - Hinata's insecurities are at it again.

“Are you okay, Hinata ?”

Hinata was surprised to find Komaeda in the room they shared at the Headquarter when he came back from the meeting. He shouldn’t have, really : Komaeda was here more than he wasn’t the days when Future Foundation gave him a few days for himself.

Hinata sighed and let himself fall on the bed next to his friend.

“I’m amazing” he replied with an exhausted smile. “I just don’t get why Naegi is so adamant about me going to these meetings. He doesn’t bother anyone as much, just me.”

“I think everyone among Future Foundation is aware that everyone trust you and look up to you, don’t you think ?” Komaeda replied with his usual enthralled expression. “We put our hopes and our future between your hands, have we not ?”

Hinata snickered.

“Yeah, right. That’s not what it sounds like whenever they talk about…” He cut himself off and closed his eyes. “Whatever. I guess I deserved it, uh ?”

Komaeda wasn’t sure what to do. Hinata seemed so _defeated_. For a second, he reached toward Hinata’s figure on the bed, thinking he could be of any comfort, but stopped himself before doing anything that would embarrass the other.

“I don’t know what happened, but I… everyone know that you are doing your best.”

“Doing my best ?” Hinata repeated a little harshly, eyes snapping open. “Well, that’s not something I ever thought I would hear you say.”

Komaeda froze.

“I was just trying to help. I can go if you’d rather be alone.”

“Urgh, no, you were here first, I’m an asshole” Hinata said. “I’m in a terrible mood. They enjoy it, you know ? They enjoy reminding me what a fucking terrible human being I was, and I get it, you can’t escape your past and…”

“ _Hinata what did they say ?_ ” Komaeda hissed, surprised by the strength in his own voice.

“Nothing ! The usual. Everything” The other replied. “How can I pretend to save people after everything I did ?”

“But you saved m… you saved all of us, haven’t you ?” Panic was spreading through Komaeda like a wildfire. There was… something wrong with all of this. “I don’t care what they said, that doesn’t mean shit ! We wouldn’t be here without you !”

Hinata turned his head toward him, and Komaeda thought he was gonna scream when he saw the indulgent, patient but disabused smile on Hinata’s lips. Like Komaeda was the one not making sense, here.

“Thanks, Komaeda.” He said, and Komaeda hated that this was only to appease _him_.

He fell quiet for a few seconds, looking at Hinata, his fingers digging into the mattress under him. Why did it have to be like that ? Why couldn’t he force Hinata to see himself the way Komaeda saw him ? That would be so easy.

If only he could be enough. No, not just ‘enough’, significant in any way. But Hinata wanted to suffer and hate himself some more, and how hypocritical he would be to stop him.

“I…” He managed to say, his throat tight. “I hope you’ll manage to gain their esteem one day.”

_Not that they deserve to have any influence on you. Not that they deserve you._

Hinata relaxed a little and Komaeda could at least be satisfied by it.

“Yeah. I hope so too.”


	27. Hateful Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon. Who even use flower language these days ?

When Komaeda woke up from his nap, the first thing he saw was the orange flower next to him, on the bed table, and a word next to it : “ _I saw it and thought about you. See you tonight ! H_.” He blinked, his brain slowly understanding the situation.

Then, he sprang out of his cottage, his hand tight around the flower, his entire body shaking.

_What did I do_ , he thought, replaying the entire morning, with Hinata and him entering the hotel’s lobby at the same time and smiling awkwardly at each other when they realized they were going to eat together. It was a little weird, but would that make Hinata angry ?

“Hinata !” He called while knocking on the other boy’s door, uncontrollable panic in his voice. “Are you here ?”

Hinata opened the door, and Komaeda realized that he has probably been asleep too. His hair were a mess ( attractive ) and his two eyes seemed to have difficulties to stay open at the same time ( less attractive ). When he noticed the flower between Komaeda’s real fingers, he froze for a second.

“Hey. Hi, Komaeda.” He said. “Something wrong ?”

Komaeda took a deep breath. How could Hinata be so calm ?

“No” he started saying as an habit. And then. “Actually, yes. I just want to know the reason you are that angry at me. Not that you have to give me a reason, I do realize that my entire existence is reason enough to hate me and I know that my wretched presence must annoy you, and I can do my best to not take my breakfast when you do but…”

“Wow, slow down !” Hinata put his hands on his shoulders, a worried light in his eyes. “You’re rambling. That didn’t happen in a while.”

Komaeda closed his mouth immediately, taken aback by the sudden proximity. Hinata probably felt his discomfort, for he released him immediately.

“Sorry” he sighed, back leaning against the door’s frame. “I just don’t get where all of this is coming from ? Did you not like the flower ? That was… a spontaneous gesture. Maybe I shouldn’t have entered your room like that, this is creepy now that I think about it, right ?”

Komaeda shrugged. Maybe ?

“I just” the white-haired boy. “Why would you send me such hateful message like that ?”

Hinata frowned.

“A _what_ , now ?”

Komaeda raised up the hand that was holding the flower, reminding the other of the evidence. Hinata’s eyes became so huge and round that the effect was almost comical.

“Wait, a _hateful message_? What the hell ? I thought this flower was pretty and I know you like pretty things or whatever. I was… trying to flirt with you ?”

Komaeda looked at the flower in his hand, all orange and pretty, before going back to Hinata, all red and just as pretty, really.

“Flirt ?” He repeated like an idiot. “With a flower that means hatred ? That’s… strange.”

“Oh my god, Komaeda !” Hinata finally snapped. “How am I supposed to know what this flower means ? I don’t even know what kind of flower it is. If it’s not a rose or a tulip, there is no way I know what kind of flower this is.”

“Oh.” Komaeda said. “So you don’t hate me.”

“No. I just wanted to make you smile, really.”

“Hum.” Komaeda said, still a little lost, but realizing that he had messed up, somehow. “Sorry that it didn’t succeed.”

Hinata shrugged.

“Whatever, I’ll do better next time. Maybe I could learn the meaning behind flowers before. With my luck I’m going to give you something even worse.”

He smiled, just a little, and Komaeda understood that the situation wasn’t as bad as he was worried it would be when he came there.

“I promise I’ll smile even if you offer me a flower that wishes me the worst.”

Two days later, Komaeda smiled, indeed, when he noticed another flower on his bed table.

“Oh, Hinata” he sighed, a laugh in his voice “Disgust, today, is it ?”


	28. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Non despair AU/College AU ( I guess ? ) - Prompt : "I'm not jealous !"

“The waitress was checking you out.”

Komaeda stopped reading the menu that the very nice waitress - that has absolutely not been checking him out, come on ! - had just given him and looked at Hinata with a lost expression.

“Checking me out ?” He repeated, then shook his head. “I think you’re confused, Hinata. She was just doing her job in a very professional way. I’m glad we have such nice person taking care of us tonight, though I’m a little scared that this is a lucky strike.”

“Oh, right” Hinata sneered. “Professional. I suppose that’s a way to call that.”

Komaeda’s eyelashes fluttered a little and he smiled awkwardly when he noticed how serious Hinata was, while not pretending to be. Hinata was good at hiding his insecurities most of the time. But when they came out, once in while, Komaeda was never really sure how to act. One small, ugly part of him whispered to him sometimes that the only reason Hinata lowered himself at his level was because he didn’t know his own worth.

It was a voice that was difficult to shut up, sometimes.

“Are you being jealous ?” He said. “That’s very flattering, but very unecessary too. Even if she was flirting, I didn’t even notice.”

“I’m not jealous.” Hinata replied reluctantly. “I was… stating a fact. That’s all.”

Komaeda hummed.

“What a funny fact to state.”

“I’m just saying.” The other kept going. “If I was a girl, she wouldn’t have done that. She probably thinks we are friends or colleagues or brothers, or whatever else. If one of us were a girl, she would assume we are dating.”

“Did you hang out with Mahiru lately ?” questioned Komaeda. “She is still majoring in Genders Studies, right ?”

“Shut it” Hinata replied with a roll of eyes. “And no, I didn’t. It’s just… tiring.”

Komaeda looked once again around the room, a plan of action already forming in his brain. With only a grin as warning, he half-stood up and leaned toward Hinata, their lips grazing each other in a familiar - yet always heart-pounding - feeling. After barely a second, Komaeda pulled back, moving away from a few millimeters.

“Is the waitress looking ?” He asked Hinata, his breath making the other shiver when it caressed his boyfriend’s cheek.

“I think everyone is looking, really.” Hinata replied in a whisper.

Komaeda sat back, very satisfied.

The waitress had some trouble looking him in the eyes when she came back to take their order. Maybe Hinata had been right after all.


	29. Beginnings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> College/Non Despair AU - Hinata and Komaeda manages to live together. This is a miracle.

Most of the time, Komaeda didn’t like having to share his dorm room with Hinata. Not that he was loud or messy ( well… he was messier than Komaeda, but he made an effort to clean up his side of the room during the week-end, so it wasn’t that awful ), but Hinata was one of these students that were only accepted in college because of the large sum of money his family gave for his education.

Sure, thanks to him the really talented people could study in a new library, so he couldn’t outright hate his presence on campus, but that didn’t mean he was jumping with enthusiasm when he found out who his roommate really was.

The only thing Komaeda liked about Hinata was the different snacks he stocked in their little shared-kitchen. Whenever Komaeda came back from his evening-class, sometimes after ten, he would discreetly snatch a chocolate bar or two. And that’s what he was was about to do on this uneventful tuesday, when…

“If you go anywhere near them, you’ll have to go through me.” 

Hinata’s voice spread through the room and Komaeda jumped, turning around to see his angry roommate glaring at him.

“Good evening Hinata” he replied sweetly. “I’m not sure what you meant, but if you are starting to have paranoïac crisis or hearing voices in your head, you should probably see a doctor and…”

“Well aren’t you full of shit.” Hinata cut him off with a challenging grin. “You claim days and nights that you want nothing to do with me, and here you are, in the middle of the night, stealing the bread from my mouth.”

How dramatic, Komaeda thought.

“Is it money you’re after ? How much can a bunch of these be ?” He pondered.

Hinata smiled more largely.

“You’ll find out. You buy one next week, for the two of us. And I’ll buy the next one. We have been sharing a room for almost two months, and we are still alive and more or less mentally balanced. I think we can take one more step and share our midnight snacks.”

Komaeda pinched his lips. Hinata’s attitude was too cocky and victorious for his taste, and he would have liked nothing more than to bring him down to earth a little. But it was true that he had been caught… maybe being agreeable was the best move right now.

“I suppose it’s… acceptable.” He said, his lips twisted in disgust.

“Great !” Hinata replied. “Then I’m off to bed. Stuff yourself with these, if you want. Just make sure to close the cupboard’s door, this time.”

In a last disrespectful gesture, Hinata gave him the finger-gun and went back to his bed. Komaeda sighed dramatically. How immature. He looked at the cupboard and after a few seconds of hesitation, he opened it.

He would have to find which snacks Hinata didn’t like before the end of the week, right ?


	30. Malfunction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post canon, established relationship. Komaeda's robotic hand is malfunctioning.

Watching Hinata work on Komaeda’s robot hand was always a fascinating experience, in the white-haired boy opinion. He couldn’t feel anything, since the first thing Hinata did was to desactivate the neural transmission, but the sight was an hypnotic one.

“I’m not sure how that happened” Komaeda said. “My middle finger just started working weird suddenly. Koizumi must think I made an incorrect gesture in her direction, I’m afraid.”

Hinata’s lips twitched, though his hands stayed precise and steady. He threw an amused look at his boyfriend from under his eyelashes.

“I have a few theories myself” he replied. “Maybe you did a few _things_ yesterday nights, that I hadn’t thought about back when I installed this hand ? Some _pretty acrobatic things_ , even. That I’m not at all complaining about, should I add.”

Komaeda’s face blushed furiously.

“No, I really don’t think that’s the case.”

“As someone who is very well-placed to know exactly what you did with this hand, I disagree” Hinata replied with a large grin.

Komaeda, flustered, moved the arm his robot hand was attached too, almost without thinking and Hinata gave him a serious look - _talking and joking is fine, don’t go make a mess of my work_. Komaeda huffed and pointedly looked away from Hinata.

“I wish Kazuichi was the one taking care of this problem” he lied. “Just to avoid any conflict of interest.”

From the corner of his eyes, he saw Hinata’s lips grazing his metallic wrist. Komaeda felt his heartbeat speed up, and he was glad his boyfriend couldn’t hear how loud his blood was singing for him.

“You’re so cute when you pout like that” he laughed. “Don’t worry, no conflict of interest here. My only concern is for you to be able to use your hand in any way you would like.”

Hinata finished his work and re-activated the neural transmission - alway such strange sensation in Komaeda’s arm. Then he stood up and pecked Komaeda’s lips. It was intended to be short, but the white-haired boy trapped him, sliding his arm behind the other’s neck to keep him there.

“Anyway I’d like ?” Komaeda asked, teasing.

“Oh, absolutely” Hinata replied with a smirk that the other felt against his own lips.

“But what if I break my hand again ?”

“Well” Hinata said. “Aren’t you lucky to have me in case it happens, then ?”

Komaeda laughed and kissed Hinata deeply.

Very lucky, indeed.


	31. Recovery (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, years after. Happiness can be scary.

When Hinata wakes up, on this peaceful morning more than fifteen years after the Tragedy, it’s four o’clock, there is no one lying on the bed next to him, and he can see that the lights are on in the bathroom. He is cold and tired, but he stirs and motivates himself enough to get out of bed. The bathroom’s door isn’t locked, and he just has to push the door to open it.

“Nagito ?” He mumbles, still half-asleep. “Are you okay ?”

Komaeda raises his head toward him, and Hinata needs less than a second to understand that no, he isn’t okay. It’s not just the red circles around the other’s eyes, or the way he is holding his legs against his chest in a protective gesture, or the traces of vomit around the toilet bowl. No, what really punches Hinata through the guts is the way Komaeda’s eyes lower as soon as they meet Hinata’s, in a stubborn way to keep him out of whatever’s going on inside his head.

They aren’t supposed to do it anymore. They have been together for so long, there is nothing to hide. They saw the worst and the best, and all that was in-between already. So Hinata kneels next to Komaeda and takes his face between his two hands.

“Hey, are you sick ?” he asks. “I can get you some medicine, if you want.”

Komaeda pushes his hands away and shakes his head.

“It’s alright. It’s nothing. I had a nightmare, I didn’t want to wake you up. All this” he waves his robotic hand in the general direction of the room. “It’s supposed to be behind us, right ?”

“It will never be, Nagito.” Hinata sighs. “We are doing well, but we can’t just erase a part of our memory like that. Everything we’ve been through, it’s a part of us. It’s up to us if we use it to make us stronger or weaker.”

“You talk like our last last therapist.”

Hinata smiles.

“I may or may not have an amazing memory. Her advice weren’t all that terrible.” He sits, cross-legged, in front of the other. “Do you want to talk about it ? Was it about the island ?”

“No.” Komaeda says. “It’s stupid. I just thought… it’s going to be my birthday next week. I’ll be thirty-three.”

“Don’t think I forgot.” Hinata replies playfully. “But it’s true you’re starting to get old. I even think I saw a white hair the other day.”

The tentative smile on the other’s lips is a victory for Hinata. It disappears as quickly as it appeared, though.

“I was just thinking” Komaeda adds “That my mother died at thirty two. In one week I’ll be older than my mother ever was. That’s so weird… it probably woke up some nightmares.”

“Oh” Hinata says.

“It’s just… a thought. But it turned into an obsession with time” Komaeda explains. “I can’t help but think about how different my life would be if that hadn’t happen. I wouldn’t have been in Hope’s Peak. Maybe I would have died during the Events ? I would have never met you, either.”

Hinata hums, and tries to comfort Komaeda by drawing pattern on the bare skin of his thighs. He isn’t sure how much he can help. Everything that happened before Hope’s Peak in the other’s life was never something Hinata was totally sure to understand, no matter how much Komaeda told him about.

“Do you think you would be happier ?” He asks.

He wonders, sometimes, too, about his own choice. How different would things have been if he hadn’t signed up for the Kamukura project ? Would he have died along the rest of the Reserve Course ? Through the years, he had stopped to blame himself for Hope’s Peak mistakes. Not that it had been easy.

“No.” Komaeda replies with a strangled laugh. “That’s why it’s awful. Despite everything, I’ve never been happier than with you. Everything we’ve been through, the end of the world, the Tragedy, my… my parents’ death… I would go through it again if that meant I could be just where I am today, in this bathroom in the middle of the night, crying my eyes out because of some stupid nightmare.” He falls quiet for a second, a shiver running through his body. “How terrifying it is to think that way ?”

“I’m happy too.” Hinata says, squeezing the other’s leg with his hand. “I’m happy with you, too.”

“But isn’t that scary ? I settled in this happiness, the way I settled into it as a child and…”

“Komaeda”

“… this kind of happiness isn’t supposed to be for me…”

“Komaeda !”

“… if you ever disappeared, I couldn’t get over it. I’m not as strong as I was before, as when I had a child, I don’t think I could ever…”

“Komaeda !” Hinata ends up yelling and shaking him up by the shoulders. “I’m not. Going. Anywhere.”

Komaeda’s lips move for a few more seconds, without a sound coming out of them. Then the tears start pouring out again.

“I’m so in love with you and that scares me half-to-death. I just refuse to imagine myself without you.”

Hinata’s arms slide behind Komaeda’s body and he just holds his shaking and sobbing body in the most awkward way ever. He just wants the other to let it all out if that’s what it takes, and he just stays there, and whispers sweet nothings into Komaeda’s ear, and waits for him to calm down.

If he cries a little, too, no one notices.


	32. Fever Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon, pre-relationship. Hinata doesn't feel well.

“Hinata, are you alright ? You are quite pale !”

Sonia was looking at him with a very serious expression on her face, which unsettled him for a moment. Then he just sighed, and ran a hand through his hair - grimacing when he realized how greasy they already were after skipping the shower this morning.

“I’m fine,” he replied, though his tone said the exact opposite. As their princess was still worried, he offered her a tired smile. “Alright, I’m not _fine_ but I’ll be better after some coffee. I didn’t get that much sleep, that’s all. That will pass.”

It didnt. Pass, that is. If anything, around noon, the pounding in his head was so intense, that he was under the impression that his skull could explode at any given moment. The sole idea to eat anything for lunch was giving nightmares to his stomach, and even drinking water made him nauseous. He wasn’t well at at all, and everyone noticed.

“Are you feeling well, Hinata ?” Komaeda asked when the white-haired boy found him, uselessly wandering in the lobby. “You look… tired.”

_Wow_ , Hinata thought for himself _, I must **really** look like shit if Komaeda is commenting on it.  
_

“I am,” he just replied, and he closed his eyes for a second, trying to make the world stay still for a second. “I think I should go back to my cottage. I’m good for nothing in this state.”

For some reason, Komaeda’s face was starting to get a little blurry, and his voice sounded, to Hinata’s ears, as coming from behind a glass.

“Yes, I agree ! Everyone is busy with their own activities, I’m sure there won’t be a problem if you take a nap in you room !”

Hinata nodded weakly, the unpleasant feeling to lose his footing gnawing at him. Komaeda was as far away from him as could be a TV show, when one is about to fall asleep in front of it : he could hear his voice, loud and persistent, but he was somehow unable to understand what he was saying.

And then everything went black.

*

When he woke up, the first thing he noticed was the _warmth_. He could feel the weight of an heavy blanket wrapped around him, and he blissfully burried his face into the fluffy pillow under his head. Eyes still closed, he took a deep breath.

_That smells… nice_.

He sniffed the pillow a few more times, enjoying the strange yet, not-entirely-unfamiliar sent, and curled himself into a ball. It was nice. He could have stayed like that until the end of his days.

If a high-pitched voice hadn’t suddenly broken his peaceful bubble, that is.

“Thank god, you’re awake,” Mikan Tsumiki’s voice squealed in relief. He felt a hand on his forehead. “You’re still a little hot, but it’s gett better,” she added. “Can you look at me for a second.”

With a groan, Hinata opened his eyes, to find out that the nurse was a lot closer than he had anticipated, looking anxiously at him with a wet towel between her hands. She smiled timidly at him and Hinata did his best to smile too, though he suspected it was more like a grimace.

“Very well. I’m going to the kitchen get some soup” Tsumiki said, before looking behind her, at someone Hinata couldn’t see from where he was. “Can you keep an eye on him, please ?”

The other person probably nodded, because even without a verbal answer, Tsumiki seemed pleased and ran off.

After a few seconds of calm, where Hinata seriously wondered if he should fall asleep again - he still felt tired, and not hungry at all, even if the idea of soup didn’t make him want to puke anymore, he heard approching footsteps, and another moment later, Komaeda’s figure moved closed enough for Hinata to see him. He looked… very tired.

“Hey,” Hinata managed to croak out, his throat sore and irritated. And before he could stop himself : “You look like shit.”

Well. Such nice words for welcome someone, right ?

Of course, Komaeda didn’t get angry at the words, just midly surprised. Hinata thought that maybe, when one lived a life as ridiculous as Komaeda’s, being surprised didn’t really mean anything.

“Ah…,” he replied with a simple shrug. “I guess I do. But you don’t look that much better, Hinata. You could be more grateful, since I’m the one who carried you here and called Tsumiki to check on you.”

“You did ?”

Komaeda hummed quietly, throwing a glance by the window - probably checking if Tsumiki was back yet.

“You fainted, straight into my arms.” He said with a careful smile. “You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

Hinata wasn’t too embarassed by the flush that suddenly came up to his cheeks - he could just pretend it was a sudden and quick-lived fever, why not, after all. Instead of answering, he turned his back toward Komaeda and hide his head under the pillow. The smell was still here, and he just laid there, enjoying his little cocoon, when the _origin_ of the smell hit him.

He turned back toward Komaeda, who was looking at him with a curious look - he was allowed to act like a child since he was sick, alright.

“Are we in your cottage ?” He asked.

“Oh, yes.” Komaeda replied. Then he bit his lips, embarassed. “I tried to find your key, but I wasn’t sure where… I didn’t want people to find me looking for it and think that…,” he coughed up a little. “Anyway, yes, you are in my cabin. I’m sorry, I didn’t think about changing the sheets.”

Huh. Hinata blinked, suddenly a lot more awake than before. Komaeda’s… cabin ? He had never been there before, not really. Not since the simulation, anyway. He had looked through the door, or the window, but he had never been inside the cottage itself. And definitely not in Komaeda’s bed.

Was it supposed to be embarassing ? Maybe a little. Maybe he wouldn’t have been embarassed if Komaeda wasn’t either. But here they were.

“Thanks” he said, and Komaeda seemed really surprised this time - he could still be surprised by some things, then, and being thanked was one of these, as sad as it was. “For carrying me here, and… not letting me die on the lobby’s floor or something.”

God, someone really needed to stop his babbling before he made a fool of himself. Thankfully, his words had turned Komaeda into a mess. Eventually, he just nodded, stiff as a stick.

“You’re welcome, Hinata”.


	33. Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Non-despair AU. Komaeda and Hinata shops for Christmas.

Hinata didn’t lose a second and, when he saw that the pile of boxes that Komaeda was carrying started to lean dangerously on the left, he rushed by the other boy’s side to stabilize him. It was almost four PM, ten days before Christmas, in the biggest mall of their town, after all : there was no way someone wouldn’t run through Komaeda like nothing.

“Do you need help with that ?” Hinata asked to the pile of colourful boxes - since the pile was higher than Komaeda’s head. Then, he sighed. “You should have told me you were planning to buy half of the stores, you know.”

Komaeda laughed, still hidden by the pile.

“I think I was a little too enthusiastic ! Sorry, Hinata, let’s just… put that on the floor or something. I’ll try to find a bag.”

“A wheelbarrow, you mean” Hinata muttered in return.

They still managed to lower the pile of gifts on the nearest bench, and Hinata was finally able to have his first look at Komaeda’s face since they separated, one hour ago, to look for presents. Hinata didn’t like the crowded, noisy atmosphere, but he knew that the situation inside any shopping center would get worse before it got better, and he could just as well rip the band-aid off this day.

It was a lucky coïncidence that Komaeda also didn’t have bought his presents, still.

“Who are you even going to give all this ?” Hinata asked. “I hope all of this isn’t for me. My room is way too small for everything to fit inside.”

Komaeda smiled a little, but his eyes stayed on the swirling people around the mall. Some people were clearly done with this place - mostly men, who had just given up after a few hours and let their wife boss them around - some were still enjoying it - teenage girls who took advantage that everything was too busy and chaotic for anyone to notice that they were testing the most expensive make-up they could get their hands on. Some, finally, were the devil, and had brought their crying, whining kids with them.

“Only half of it” Komaeda finally replied with a dreamy expression, “The rest is for everyone at the party. I thought it would be rude to come empty-handed, right ?”

“Urgh, Komaeda. You don’t need to pay hundreds dollars in gifts as an entrance fee, you know.”

Komaeda shrugged, and that was all for his reaction. Hinata decided to not push the question : he was tired, his head hurt, and he was seriously starting to get murderous urges toward this woman who was too busy talking to her friend to bother calming her screaming offspring.  Hinata knew that Komaeda had way too much money at disposal, anyway.

“I guess you like it.” He said instead. “Christmas, I mean” He added, when Komaeda stared at him in confusion.

The remark seemed to plunge him into one of his weird contemplative mood.

“Do I ? I guess so, uh. It’s just so pretty, all these lights, and stores’ decorated windows. You can just feel hope oozing from everywhere. I like the glitters, and the snow, and the tree. When I was a child, I think my parents had put a thirty-meters tree in the living-room. I hid myself in it all the times, my parents were starting to get crazy.”

“Thirty-meters ?” Hinata raised an eyebrow. “How could a thirty-meters tree fit into your living-room ? This is absurd.”

Komaeda opened his mouth, then closed it, thoughtful. He grimaced, as if Hinata had forced him to swallow something bitter.

“It looked thirty-meters when I was a child. I supposed it was… just a normal tree.” He admitted.

Hinata hummed. Despite himself, his eyes returned to Komaeda’s pile of gifts. It was a lot of attention toward people who - for the most part - hadn’t even talked to him the entire year. Hinata himself wasn’t the best at gifting : Komaeda would get a book from his favorite author, Nanami this game that she had been raving about for weeks and that Hinata made her promise to not buy, subtlety be damned, Kuzuryuu would have gloves and so forth.

“Anyway” Hinata declared matter-of-factly. “I better help you carry these ones, tomorrow, right ? I’ll be at your house early, so you better be ready.”

Komaeda blinked comically, and Hinata did his best to not smile.

“Are you saying that we are going to the Christmas Party together ?”

“Seems like it.” Hinata shrugged. “If you’re fine with this, of course. I can still exchange my give for you and get you a wheelbarrow, if that’s what you want.”

Komaeda laughed and shook his head. Hinata thought that this was a nice moment, despite the hellish mall they were in.

Then he remembered they had to carry all of Komaeda’s gifts back home, and that they didn’t have a car. And then it wasn’t a nice moment anymore.


	34. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-canon. Last dare for this year's Christmas party.

“Oh ! It’s Hinata’s turn !” Mioda yelled after noticing that, indeed, the bottle they have been playing with had stopped in front of him. She rubbed her hands together in a fake-evil fashion, before bursting in laughter. “Alright, truth or dare, Hinata ? I’m warning you, only lame people pick truth !”

Hinata almost shrugged but Komaeda was currently half-asleep, his head against Hinata’s shoulder, and his breath slow and peaceful against his neck. He sighed, instead. A poor replacement, for no one heard it over Mioda’s impatient noises.

“Fine” he said, stifling a yawn himself - anyone who wasn’t their energetic host was more or less struggling to not fall asleep. “Dare. I’m not getting naked.” Then, as Mioda opened her mouth, he added “And I don’t sing !”

“Well aren’t you fun ?” She pouted for half-a-second. Then, her eyes started to sparkle. “Fine, everyone is getting sleepy, so let’s end the game beautifully ! I dare you and Komaeda to get under the mistletoe and to smooch !”

Hinata shook his head.

“That’s not fair if Nagito has to do it too, it’s not his turn !”

Mioda looked positively offended by it.

“Are you telling me that the Hajime Hinata who overthrown an entire society, and said ‘fuck you’ to Future Foundation is the kind to nitpick the rules of a Truth or Dare game ?” She yelled at him.

“Haji” Owari whined, a little too drunk to be of any help. “Just do it ! I’m sure your tongue knows Komaeda’s mouth better than yours, by now. Why do you care for a little peck ! You don’t even have to wake him up”

Hinata sighed again - this time with enough strength to be heard - and gave up. He and Komaeda weren’t that bad, okay.

“Fine, sure.” He said.

He moved Komaeda’s head as slowly as possible, and lightly grazed the other’s mouth with his lips. Mioda hadn’t precised how long he was supposed to kiss him, so he just moved away after a few seconds.

“No, no, no !” Mioda said. “I specified that you both had to be under the mistletoe, right ?”

“Are you serious ?” Kazuichi said. “The point of putting people under the mistletoe is to have them kiss anyway.”

Sonia - who Hinata had thought asleep until then - suddenly intervened in the discussion.

“Where is your Christmas Spirit, Kazuichi !” She said. “Of course we need the mistletoe ! If Hinata doesn’t want to come to the mistletoe, then I’ll make sure the mistletoe come to them !”

After these words, she elegantly stood up and went to take down the mistletoe disposed as a decoration over the closest door. Hinata felt Komaeda stir next to him, and focused his attention on him, sliding an arm against the other’s waist to keep him where he was.

“I wasn’t sleeping” Komaeda mumbled against his shirt.

“Sure you weren’t” Hinata teased. “We are leaving , anyway. I just have one dare to go through.”

Komaeda’s attention perked up, and he raised his crumpled face toward his boyfriend.

“What kind of dare ?” He asked, his voice still a little far away.

Hinata didn’t have the time to answer, and Sonia came back to the group, a few sprigs of mistletoe in her hands.

“Here we go !” She said cheerfully. “The best ingredient for a Christmas party’s romantic ending !”

She didn’t lose a second before putting the mistletoe over his and Komaeda’s head, and Hinata just turned toward the other, wondering if he was alright with that. Komaeda blinked once, twice, before nodding, and Hinata took delicately his chin between two fingers and brought their head together. A couple of cheering erupted in the room, followed by a few ‘okay, time to leave now !’.

“Mmm” Komaeda said after they got separated, his head finding his previous spot on Hinata’s shoulder. “One part of me really want to go to sleep, one part of me really don’t want to move.”

Hinata agreed, and from the state his other friends were, he wasn’t the only one.

“Let’s go to sleep and then let’s not move for a year.” He suggested.

“Sounds good.” The other replied softly.


End file.
